How To Be
by Black-Orchid-Romance
Summary: Bella Swan is invisible, no one even notices the scars or bruises left from the beatings her father insists are for her own good. When a family with ties to the ruthless underground mafia world moves to town, their son Edward takes notice, causing a string of events that could very well kill them all. **WARNING** ABUSE, STRONG LANGUAGE, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

I killed someone, a girl.

I hated her sad brown eyes as they bore into me day after day, imploring me with everything they had left to either end it all or find just one thing that was worth living for—just one, small thing that would make it all seem worth it in the end. I hated the pathetic way she always did what her son of a bitch father told her to do because she was so afraid that the next time he hit her so hard she blacked out, he wouldn't stop. It didn't matter how bad she looked, no one ever noticed the bruises or cuts that she barely bothered to hide, not even the damn teachers. The bastard could have killed her, and I doubt that anyone in the whole town of Forks, Washington would have even noticed. They all ignored what was right in front of them and she was too weak to go to them herself. Too terrified of what he might do to her if he found out she told.

She was nothing, I hated her for it.

Then he came along. He came into her life with such a force that she couldn't help being drawn to him. He was as beautiful as he was dangerous, something about him both alluring and distant all at once. She didn't know it at the time, but she never even stood a chance against his damn crooked grin or his emerald colored eyes that burned with such intensity that when he looked at her, she sometimes thought her very soul would ignite into flames. He saw her when no one else did, and his fire brought the fragmented girl back to life. He saw the small spark of life still shining dimly behind her pained stare. He saw the little glimmer of hope that there was something better out there for her. He wasn't perfect, she knew that. She was highly aware that he had his own demons to fight, and that he had secrets in his past she might never know. He was broken though too, and he while to everyone else he may not have been perfect, he was perfect to her. He was a challenge and at times crass, but they taught each other how to be strong, and how to love one another with all they had within their tattered hearts. Their worlds collided in a fierce storm of anguish and vulnerability, but they drew from each other the strength and love needed to survive their dangerous worlds.

My name is Isabella Marie Swan and I killed a girl…the girl I used to be.

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**Disclaimer/Authors Note:** I own nothing except the plot and this version of the characters. Stephanie Meyer and Summit Entertainment retain all the rights. Alright, please let me know what you thought of the prologue! I am very excited about this story and I hope people take an interest! Please don't just add to your favorites, but give feedback as well because I want to grow as a writer! Also, last thing is that I would love a beta! :)


	2. Concrete Angel

**Chapter 1: **Concrete Angel

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_You good for nothing...how dare you talk back to me like that! I am your father and you will show me respect in my house!_

_I'm sorry...I didn't..._

_You're just like your whore of a mother...she didn't know her place either! Where is she now, Isabella, where? _

_She…she's…_

_Answer me, damn it!_

_Dead...she's dead._

_That's right, you ungrateful little shit. For the past seventeen years I have supplied you with food, clothes, let you live in my damn house..._

_I know...I just...I'm sorry, I didn't mean..._

_You're sorry? Oh, believe me, I'll give you something to be sorry about!_

_Please, don't...please..._

Pain.

It was the very first thing that broke through my muddled mind as I struggled to open my eyes. I could feel the cold tile floor of the kitchen beneath me like slabs of ice, but it did nothing at all to ease the throbbing in my head or the fire burning in my left arm. I couldn't seem to remember anything except that last night had been particularly brutal, and that despite taking every precaution I had somehow managed to say or doing something that set Charlie off again. It didn't take much to get him angry these days though, so I knew it would be fruitless to even dwell on the why for long. It was my fault anyway, and I fully understood that. I knew my father was quick tempered, volatile, and prone to lashing out. For some reason I was the one that set him off every time. If I just watched myself more carefully, thought about what I said or did, he wouldn't need to use force to me to keep me in line. I wasn't careful enough.

After a moment, with my eyes still closed, I tried to lift my arm off the floor and winced at the searing pain that shot through it at the slight movement. I knew instinctively from past experience that it was broken, the pain and tightness from swelling clueing me into what my body had endured the night before. Charlie apparently hadn't gone easy on me, but then again he rarely did. There were only a handful of occasions I could recall when he was in a good mood and I received only a hard smack across the cheek as a reprieve because he felt I seemed truly repentant for whatever it was I did to offend him. Last night was obviously not one of those times. I could picture how his thick, wavy black hair would be plastered to his forehead as his rage caused him to perspire. His beady brown-black eyes made even smaller as they narrowed suspiciously and held me frozen to where I stood. He was almost forty, but he had managed to keep himself in shape over the years. I could see the way his lean, muscled form would stalk forward like a predator about to pounce on its prey.

I suppose, even with the copper-like taste of blood fresh in my mouth, I should have counted myself lucky that I was even coherent enough to form a thought since I knew how bad Charlie could get if he was really on a rampage. Once, when I had been careless enough after a particularly long, hard day at school and work to raise my voice at him, he'd become utterly enraged. It was so bad that he had actually been forced to take me to the hospital in Port Angeles. He chose a facility far enough away so people in the town wouldn't start asking questions—not that they would have. To be safe though, I told the doctors at the medical center that I tripped over my backpack and fell down our stairs. It wasn't a hard lie to pull off seeing as how I was so naturally inept. I also knew that if they didn't believe me and Charlie thought I told them the truth, he wouldn't stop until I was dead the next time. The technicians did seem mildly suspicious at first since my injuries weren't at all indicative of my story. But since I had been adamant about the story of my falling down the stairs, and since Charlie was considered an 'upstanding officer of the law' in the small town of Forks, Washington, they bought the story and sent me home. He was much more careful after that, making sure any injury inflicted would not be so bad as to need medical attention. He also forced me to quit my job at the local diner after that, it was about that time I stopped referring to him as my father for the most part.

As I lay on the floor of the tiny kitchen, my head and arm throbbing as if they had their own pulse separate from the rest of my body, I could do nothing but wish he had finished the job when he had the chance. Do nothing but wish I had told those doctors the truth that night so that Charlie would have a real reason to actually do it.

"Just breathe." I whispered as I finally managed to open my heavy lidded eyes. Taking my own advice I inhaled a few deeply needed breaths before turning slowly onto my side. As I tried to gently lift my weight with my right arm I heard movement come from upstairs and quickly dropped back to the floor, gasping softly as I landed on my injured arm. Rolling over onto my back, I kept my eyes closed and listened anxiously to the muffled footsteps as they made their way through the upstairs hall toward the staircase.

"Yeah, sure thing." I heard Charlie say, his rough voice filtering through the living room to the kitchen. He sounded completely normal as he spoke. Whoever was on the phone would never know he ever laid a hand on me the night before.

_Breathe…in…out...in_

"I am on my way into the station right now." I felt my body tense as the footsteps came closer, and I silently prayed that I was in the same position I had been when he left before. If he thought I was still passed out he wouldn't touch me, but there was no telling what he would do if he knew I was awake. There was nothing for me to do but wait and hope, so I did. Charlie never came into the kitchen though. Instead, still talking on the phone, I heard him pause in the narrow hallway just off the living room before his footsteps quickly receded and there was a distinct click of the front door as he closed it behind him. The police car roared to life a few minutes later, and I could hear the loud crunching of gravel as it pulled out of the driveway and on to the street.

I don't know how long I waited, but it was a little while later when I decided that he was really gone for the day and it was safe enough for me to get up. I rolled over again and got to my feet little by little, careful of any other injuries that I might not have noticed. The broken arm was bruised and swollen like I knew it would be, but since I had googled many injuries over the years, I understood enough to know that particular break wasn't in dire need of medical attention. Like I said, Charlie was more careful since the hospital incident. As I finished the quick evaluation of Charlie's damage, I looked up and cast a quick glance across the small, dull blue kitchen. My eyes widened in horror and I began to panic when I and realized that the clock on the stove read that it was already after seven thirty.

"No, no, no!" I gasped, biting my bottom lip nervously and cradling my arm as I rushed from the kitchen. "I'm so going to be late!" Charlie would not be pleased with me if he got another call saying that I had been late to class, and I didn't think that my body could take anything so soon after last night. I hurried as quickly as I could up the stairs to the sparsely decorated room where I slept, and grabbed the ugly blue sling I received during my last hospital visit from the closet. Slipping it carefully around my neck, I gently placed my arm inside the supportive canvas fabric before grabbing the orange backpack from the floor next to the wooden computer desk.

I grimaced when I entered the houses' one bathroom and looked at myself in the hazy mirror above the sink. My already large brown eyes, which were usually a soft golden color, seemed even bigger somehow though they were dark and sunken into my pale, ashen skin. There were no visible bruises or cuts but the planes of my face seemed sharp and angular against the gaunt, hollow appearance of my cheeks and caused me to shudder slightly in repulsion before turning away. There wasn't enough time to do anything with my hair so I let the long dark brown waves hang limply over my shoulders before pulling the hood of my navy blue jacket up and heading back down the stairs and out the front door. I locked up quickly and placed the key back under the old black porch mat, as Charlie didn't want me to carry a key since it was his house. As I stood back up from the tattered door rug a loud noise shot suddenly through the air and I turned my head to see a large moving truck I hadn't noticed parked in front of the house next door. Two burly looking men who I took to be the movers were struggling with an ornate black piano inside the large truck, their shirts sky blue shirts stained with perspiration. Nearby, a small woman with light honey colored hair pulled in a low ponytail was dressed in crème colored pants with jade green button down. She wore an exasperated expression clear on her pretty, porcelain doll like face as she stood on the curb and watched the spectacle.

The movers continued to labor with the piano as they made their way down the van's ramp, and I watched with some amusement as the little woman suddenly began to yell something angrily over to them, causing the men to nod vigorously. It was rather strange, and kind of funny to see a woman as small as her yell at two giant men without fear of retribution, and I couldn't help but admire the strength she so effortlessly exuded. Whoever the woman was she was definitely in control and wouldn't let herself be pushed around. It would be interesting having her as a neighbor.

Sighing lightly I turned and made my way down the dirt path toward the driveway. I would have loved to stay and watch the entertaining scene longer, but I was already running late for school and couldn't afford any more delays. It was cold out, and because it was the rainy season the path to the driveway was pretty much a slick trail of mud. I was wary as I made my way to where my old Ford pick-up truck sat at the end of the drive. The last thing I needed was to fall on my butt and cause my body even more harm. I took each step slowly, one at a time, and smiled softly when I reached the somewhat rusted red door of the mammoth vehicle. It creaked loudly as I pulled it open and delicately climbed in, setting my bag next me on the stained fabric passenger seat. The only reason Charlie made payments and let me keep the car after I no longer had a job, was because he didn't want to be stuck with taking me to school or wherever it was I might need to go. It was basically his way of making sure I wasn't as much I would be if I were car-less.

"Come on…come on," I urged when I started the car a second later and it did nothing but make an alarmingly loud coughing noise. "Come on I don't need this right now!" The gods must have decided to take pity on me, because just as I was about to give up and walk the mile and a half to Forks High School, the monster came to life. "That's a good truck!" I cried, patting the dashboard affectionately before pulling out of the gravel driveway. It was hard to drive steadily on the wet road with only one arm, and I swerved a bit as I tried, but I made it to the tiny brick high school in one piece with just a few minutes to spare. I drove through the student lot to my usual parking space near the back, maneuvering the truck through the small crowd of students making their way to the various small buildings that made up the campus.

When I finally parked and turned off the engine I immediately reached over into the backpack and took two aspirin from the small bottle I kept in the front pocket. I popped them into my mouth as I put the bag over my good shoulder and got out into the cold morning air. The pills went down easily even with the lack of water. Shutting the door with little force, I locked the door and walked quickly toward Building B for my first period French class. Just as I was about to start up the stone stairs to the double doors something hard unexpectedly bumped into my injured arm and I cried out in pain as I jerked away and dropped the orange book bag to the floor. I held my arm protectively and looked up toward the familiar form of Rosalie Hale as she sauntered up the stairs toward the building without so much as a glance in my direction with startling her ice blue eyes. Her perfect golden locks cascaded down her long, slender back and all five feet eight inches of her exuded an air of confident self-importance.

"Oops." I muttered, allowing just a trace of sarcasm into my tone. I lightly massaged my tender arm for another moment before picking the backpack up again and starting the up the stairs. The final bell rang just as I stepped inside the heated confines of the school, causing me to heave a deep sigh as I walked down the narrow hall toward my classroom though I didn't even have time to grab my book from my locker. The classroom door was propped open with one of the school's plastic blue chairs and I could hear the sounds of hushed conversations going on as I stepped closer.

"Ah, mademoiselle, Isabella." Mr. Varney announced pleasantly from behind his desk as I walked into the room. His thinning brown hair was combed down over his forehead and his wired rimmed glasses were being held together by tap on the center bridge. "Le principe veut vous voir." I froze mid-step and stared at him, not understanding a thing he had just said to me other than my name.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, feeling dumb for standing there in front of the entire class, not understanding. "I don't…."

"En Francias s'il vous plait." He told me, and a couple of students chuckled at his obvious exasperation. I tried to quickly think back to the basics we had learned at the beginning of the semester, my eyes shifting uneasily from Mr. Varney to the dirty white board behind him.

"Umm…excusez-moi…um…qui?"

"Le principe," He repeated slowly, his head dipping down to exaggerate his words. "Veut vous voir."

"Qui?" I felt my face flush with embarrassment as the other students laughed even louder than before. I felt my heart rate begin to suddenly increase and breath begin to come in shallow gasps as my eyes darted to several of the smirking faces. I tried to keep my breathing slow and even, but the unusual sense of having so many eyes on me was making feel unnerved and edgy.

"The principal wants to see you." Mr. Varney sighed with a shake of his head."Do your homework, Bella, please."

"Right…um…merci monsieur Varney." I nodded my head, backing out of the room as hastily as I could before rushing down the deserted hall to the principal's office. I managed to calm myself down as I made my way to the office, but I started to feel anxious again when I realized that I didn't have a clue as to why Mr. Green would even want to see me. I had never actually even been into his office before. It would be just peachy if I was about to get into trouble for being late to first period so often.

When I finally walked into the main office, Mrs. Cope, the plump, redheaded secretary told me to take a seat while I waited to be seen. The office as a whole was small, with only two chairs painted in the school colors of deep crimson and Canary yellow placed in the even smaller waiting area. I had been occupying the crimson chair for a mere minute when the door to the office opened again and in walked the queen herself.

"Miss Hale." The secretary said as Rosalie approached the desk and handed her a little yellow slip. "Take a seat please. The principal will see you both in a moment." She looked over her slim shoulder at me, her icy gaze taking me in before she turned and walked over to the seat next to me. My brow furrowed in confusion as I took in the fact that Mr. Green wanted to see us both at the same time. Rosalie Hale and I had no classes together, didn't associate with the same people, or with each other really - we had nothing to do with each other at all.

I shook my head in an effort to clear my mind. Inhaling a deep, calming breath I glanced over to Rosalie as she sat analyzing her perfectly manicured nails. Neither of us spoke. The only sounds came from the keyboard as Mrs. Cope typed forms into her outdated computer, and from the schools clogged heater as it buzzed loudly from the ceiling above. The clock on the far wall moved in slow motion as I counted the number of tack holes in the rather sparse cork board of announcements and flyers. The room was stuffy with Mrs. Copes' heavy floral perfume and I was wiping away a heavy bead of sweat from my forehead when she broke the silence and caused me to jump in surprise.

"Alright girls." She announced. "Mr. Green is ready for you." Rosalie sighed and rolled her eyes as she stood gracefully from her chair, then followed closely behind me down the little side hall to the office. I stopped just outside the closed oak door and stared at the dull bronze plaque that had Mr. Greens' name engraved on it. I again wondered what in the world the principal could want with me and Rosalie. It wasn't as if I had told anyone she had bumped into me outside, and it wasn't as if anyone would have cared anyway. Maybe she was constantly late as well and he wanted to deal with us at one time to save himself some trouble? Doubtful.

"You going to knock?" Rosalie's husky voice broke through my thoughts and I turned to look at her in confusion.

"What?"

"God…"She muttered with another roll of her eyes "I'm surrounded." She brought a fist up to the door and rapped loudly on the wood twice before bringing it to her head and pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Sorry." I whispered, my face turning red again, "I kind of zoned out." A deep voice from the other side of the door called us in before Rosalie could respond, and I turned the brass knob to open it. My eyes briefly scanned the room and I immediately noticed the two people occupying two of the four cushioned office chairs.

The first would have been impossible to miss. He was absolutely massive with long, black curls that reminded me of baby hair it looked so soft. His sparkling eyes were a soft brown color, and his biceps, which were as big as my face, seemed to totally contradict his other endearing features. I instinctively took a step back when I saw him, his size immediately making me wary of the damage he could cause when he was angry. He was smiling pleasantly enough at us, but if an average size man like Charlie could cause the pain he did, I didn't ever want to find out what that mammoth could do when he was furious. The occupant of the other chair, who was also grinning cheerfully, was much less intimidating. She was exceedingly tiny, with an almost rail thin body. Her delicate features reminded me a lot of the woman from earlier that morning, and were set off by luminous emerald green eyes and ebony hair that was cropped short and wild.

"Hello ladies." Mr. Green stated from his desk as he gestured for us to enter the office. "Please take a seat."

"What can I do for you Mr. G?" Rosalie asked as she perched herself in the chair next to the barbarian. I said a silent thanks for that as I quietly shut the office door and took my own seat next to the girl.

"Well Rosalie, as you see we have two new students. Girls I'd like you to meet Emmett and Alice Cullen."

"Hey." Emmett the smiled, his twinkling eyes on Rosalie as he reached out a giant paw to shake her hand. She took it, and her full lips quickly curved into the signature smile that had made lesser guys at the school fall at her feet.

"Hi…you're Isabella right?" I cringed slightly Alice's use of my full name. I had never been a big admirer of it, and much preferred my mothers' nickname from when I was a child. Even that wasn't special, but it was much better than the formal sounding_ Isabella_, and it reminded me of my mother.

"Uh…just call me Bella."

She smiled at me and nodded enthusiastically.

"So now that we're all acquainted," Mr. Green announced, "Rosalie, Bella…since you two have yet to participate in our senior ambassador program, I would like for you two to show than and Alice around and get them familiar with the school and our policies."

"Sure thing." Rosalie replied without even looking at him. She was still smiling seductively at the oversized teenager sitting next to her. "You got it. I'd be more than happy to give Emmett a tour."

"Wait." I said to Mr. Green with a shake of my head "That was all you wanted?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" He looked at me curiously and I tried to hide my obvious sense of relief.

"Oh…um…no reason…yeah, I'll show Alice around."

"Great, they have their schedules already so you can just show them to their second period classes and then meet them at lunch." We all nodded and stood from our chairs before filing out of the office and into the main hallway. It turned out that Rosalie and Emmett both had second period statistics, so they quickly left us and made their way across the quad to their class, both of them smiling as they talked animatedly with each other.

"Something tells me that there is going to be…interesting." I looked over at Alice who was watching the receding forms of her brother and Rosalie with a look of intense awareness in her bright green eyes.

"I guess. I honestly couldn't care less about who or what Rosalie Hale does." I turned away and walked back inside the building, Alice right behind me.

"I guess you wouldn't." She said with a laugh as we stopped at my locker. "But Emmett is my brother after all."

"I suppose that does grant you the right to be emotionally involved." I replied with a small smile.

"It sure does…I only have two brothers after all, and Emmett is by far the more amicable one."

I nodded in understanding and grabbed my biology book from the top shelf and shut the door to my locker.

"So where is your other brother?" I asked. I led her back out the building and down the tree lined path that led to the building where her history class was.

"Oh, he and my dad had some things to take care of back in New York. They'll be here by tonight though. Their flight should have already landed. You'll be forced to meet him tomorrow."

"Alright...um…can't wait?" I shifted the weight of my backpack so that my injured arm didn't have any pressure on it.

"Edward really isn't bad, just kind of moody. Alright really moody, but he's great when you actually get to know him. So what happened to your arm?"

I stopped dead in my tracks at her question, quickly going into a slight panic because I had never actually had to deal with someone asking me about an injury except the one time at the hospital. I was usually just invisible to everyone at the school, and I was fine with that because it meant I never had to lie convincingly about it or deal with prying questions.

"I fell down our stairs." I told her, keeping my gaze on the concrete path beneath our feet. "I…I'm such an airhead sometimes and I didn't see my backpack." We walked in silence for a minute, and I almost forgot about the awkward moment until Alice's tinkling voice broke through the stillness.

"Oh, well that's awful…I really hope you get better soon." My eyes shot to her face at her kind words, and I saw that her big doe eyes were filled more concern than I had ever been the recipient of in my entire seventeen years of life.

"Thank you."I told her with a small smile."Really, I'll be fine…nothing time won't fix."

"Yeah" She said with a nod, but the concern didn't leave her eyes.

"So…" I hedged, beginning to feel uncomfortable under little Alice's troubled gaze and wanting to change the subject. "Who was the woman I saw this morning? Small, brown hair, face like a doll?" Forks was an extremely small town with less than a thousand people, so I assumed that since she and Emmett were new in school, and Charlie now had new neighbors, that it wasn't just a coincidence.

"Oh, that's my mom, Esme. Wait…how did you meet her?"

"I didn't actually meet her. I live in the house next to you I guess, 7175 Oak…I saw her this morning with the movers."

"Wait, so we're neighbors? That's so great. You have to come over some time for a sleepover! It would be really nice to make a friend here so soon. Especially one who lives right next door."

"Um…I don't know Alice. I'm not really the sleepover kind." It was true enough, as I had never actually felt the urge to have a sleepover before. And while the seventeen year old girl in me desperately wanted to sit around watching bad romantic comedies while eating peanut butter out of the jar, I thought of Charlie and what he might say if I told him I was sleeping at some strange house. Even if it was next door he would never go for it, and there was no way I was going to endure his wrath by doing it anyway. "Besides, do uh…girls our age even still have sleepovers?

"Of course they do, and every girl is the sleepover kind! Besides, you're in sore need of a good cucumber facial."

"Did you just make that up?" I asked her as we walked into Building C of the campus.

"No I did not…it was in the October issue of Cosmo. It's supposed to cleanse your pores."

"Right, ummm… well I guess we'll see. Here is your classroom."

"Ok well let me know. Thanks so much Bella, see you at lunch." I waved goodbye to her with my good arm before walking out the door to Biology. To my intense surprise the day actually seemed to fly by after that. I met Alice for lunch like we said, and though she wasn't impressed with the lack of organic selections, she deemed the cafeteria "eatable" because of the wide variety in fat free entrées. Rosalie and Emmett never showed up, something that seemed to bother Alice a little because even though she never said anything I noticed her eyes moving constantly to the cafeteria doors. I liked Alice a lot, her constant upbeat chatter keeping me distracted to the point where I almost felt normal and like I actually had a friend for pretty much the first time. I didn't want the feeling to go away.

Lunch ended though, and with it the sense of normalcy as Alice and I said goodbye since we didn't have any classes together. It's amazing how being basically invisible to everyone around you can speed up time though, because just like that morning, before I knew it school was out for the day and I was pulling into Charlie' driveway as if I had never left for school at all. He wouldn't be home for a few hours as he took long shifts on Tuesdays, giving me plenty of time to make his dinner and get my homework done before he came home. I dropped the heavy book bag on the floor in the foyer and immediately set about completing my first priority of Charlie' dinner. His favorite had always been spaghetti with a Caesar salad, and in order to either put him in or keep him in a good mood, I grabbed all the ingredients I needed from various kitchen cabinets. Once I had everything situated on the counter it didn't take me long at all to boil the noodles, warm the sauce, and toss the salad though it was somewhat more difficult without the use of both of my arms. When the dinner was done and smelling of warm garlic and tomatoes, I made myself a small plate and put the rest in the fridge for Charlie to heat up when he got home, suddenly worrying over the fact that it would be cold when he got it. My desire to put him in a good mood had distracted me from realizing that the food wouldn't be fresh by the time he got home. I briefly contemplated scrapping the whole thing and starting over a little later so it would be ready as he pulled into the driveway, but decided he would be just as mad over either wasted food, or needlessly cooked food so it wouldn't make a difference in the end.

I sighed with fatigue and walked out of the kitchen, grabbing the bag from the foyer as I made my way upstairs to the bedroom. Worrying over what Charlie would say about his dinner would do me no good, so understanding that I decided to do my best to push it from my mind until he got home. At least then I could try and focus on what I had to do for school, since Mr. Varney believed I was slacking in French and I didn't want him to say that to Charlie at next months' parent-teacher conference. His thinking I was falling behind with my classes would not bode well for me at all either.

When I reached the insignificant room at the end of the darkened hall I dropped everything but the food listlessly to the floor and set the plate on the chipped computer desk before walking over to the window to let the fresh air in to the suffocating room. The sun had started to peek through the ever present clouds around noon so it wouldn't be overly cold, and it would be nice to feel the cool breeze as I tried to write my French paper that was already late because I missed class. It took a few minutes but after struggling to force it up into place, I finally managed to prop the old window frame open with a thick wooden rod before turning back into the room and reached for the small plate of food with my good arm. I placed it next to me on the lumpy twin size bed and reached out again to the desk and grabbed a notebook from where it sat open in front of the computer screen. It was just as I was about to put the pen on the page that a soft sound floated through the window with on the breeze. I paused my movements and strained my ears to try and make out what the sound was, wondering who or what could possibly make such a beautifully sorrowful melody. Its tenured tone was almost ethereal, and all was quiet for another long moment until the sound came again, rising in volume until I was able to identify exactly what the sound was, and where it was coming from.

_A piano._

My mind immediately thought of the large, ornate instrument that the movers had been handling that morning, and was I thankful that they hadn't ruined it in their struggle. Whoever was playing the beautiful piece of music was very talented, though I felt a sense of longing in their playing as I listened to their fingers glide over the smooth keys. For another couple of seemingly timeless minutes I sat perfectly still as the notes rose and fell in perfect harmony, creating an exquisite melody that felt full of passion and grief. As the notes began to wind down into a more gentle quality, I felt my eyes begin to grow heavier. I struggled to stay awake as my body finally started giving into the exhaustion I had managed to keep at bay up until then. My last coherent thought before the haunting tune pulled me under into the black waters of sleep was of long, nimble fingers as they ghosted over the black and white keys of a piano.


	3. Them Bones

**Chapter 2: **Them Bones

* * *

"Fuck, doesn't anyone know what 'I'm busy' means? I'm not going to answer shit head." I glared down at the little black cell phone in my hand. It vibrated incessantly, the screen lighting up one last time before it finally went black and I stuck the offending piece of machinery into the pocket of my leather jacket. I was not in the damn mood to talk to anyone, least of all my asshole brother. Who, in all honesty, was probably calling just to tell me some dumb ass joke he heard on trash television. Sometimes that fucker acted like a damn child who didn't have the sense of a five year old, and I didn't have the patience right then to deal with Emmett and his immaturity.

"Ugh…shit!" I groaned, running a hand through my already disheveled auburn hair. I looked up at the dark, overcast sky. I was tense, too tense for my own damn good, and I knew that I needed to calm the hell down before I did something overtly stupid and ended up regretting it. Not that I ever really regretted my actions, because they were always warranted in some respect, but they generally tended to cause me more grief than they were worth in the long run.

_Yeah ok….Edward's going to be a good little boy…you're such a damn moron, but even you can't believe that._

I rolled my eyes at the sarcastic tone of my own brain and pulled a cigarette from my pants pocket, lighting the tip and taking a long drag of the nicotine. I sighed softly, allowing the acrid smoke to envelop my lungs, immediately helping to relax the muscles in my body. I shouldn't even have fucking been there, standing in front of the prissy New York private school at seven in the morning. It wasn't as if the pussy was hurt that bad, he just couldn't handle taking the shit he tried to dish out. I mean hell, I didn't have a scratch on me and he got sent to the hospital for a damn concussion.

Smirking at a little at the memory of a broken nose and trails of blood, I took another long drag and sat on the cold steps of Dalton Academy, leaning my head back so that it was supported by the iron railing. I tilted my head slightly back up to the sky and propped my arm up on my knee, continuing to take slow inhales of smoke. Fuck if I know why, but watching the clouds move slowly across the angry looking grey sky was almost as therapeutic as the nicotine coursing through my lungs. It was like a trance and I found myself almost hypnotized by the languid movements of the dark haze.

"Didn't I ever teach you that smoking is bad for your health?" The familiar voice brought me out of my daze and I smirked wryly while continuing to stare up into coming storm. The irony of that statement was too good to pass up. I took one last puff and flicked the remaining bud to the ground as I let out a deep, sarcastic laugh.

"I think being your son is a lot worse for my health than a little cigarette." He sighed lightly in exasperation, and though I hadn't even turned my head to look at my father's sorry ass, I could see clearly in my head how he would be rubbing his temples as if he had a biting headache.

_Yeah, and it's you asshole. _

_Shut up! _I growled internally toward my own thoughts.

"So…" I asked, ignoring my inner self because he was pissing me off, "What did they say?" He didn't respond right away, just stood there in silence and I could feel his piercing eyes watching me from the top of the steps. After a few minutes it began to get too uncomfortable and I couldn't help but turn my head slightly to see what the hell he was doing. He was dressed as he always was for business, a tailored black suite with a white silk shirt underneath. His tie, like all the others in his closet, was black satin, and his expensive black loafers were of course polished to perfection. He had his thick, white-blond hair, an odd color that often reminded me of the color of melted butter, slicked back neatly which gave off an air of sophisticated upper class.

_Yeah, _I thought darkly. _Because Carlisle Cullen would never be seen as less than utterly respectable…what bullshit. _All someone would have to do is lift up his silk shirt and see the tattoos scattered across his body to know how respectable he really was. Each one meant different things—murder, theft, imprisonment. I mean the man was only thirty-seven for Christ sake.

"You just going to stand there, or are you going to answer my damn question?" My annoyance was at its breaking point as he tried to play some stupid game with me. Fuck that. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"You know, Edward, you could show a little gratitude." I rolled my eyes and he took the few steps to the curb, coming to a stop right in front of me. "They were going to press charges…assault and battery, that's serious stuff son even for a minor. You may only be seventeen but—you're lucky I was able to talk them out of it."

"Don't you mean your checkbook talked them out of it…or wait, did you threaten them? I could see that you know…you telling them that no one would miss them if they went missing, never to be fucking seen again."

"You know I didn't." He said softly, beginning to rub his temple again. "The situation hardy warrants that."

"Right of course, what was I thinking? Because shit like that has never happened before, especially where you're concerned right?" He tensed at my words, but recovered himself quickly before crossing his arms over his chest and looking at me with weary eyes.

"That is beside the point…What were you thinking? You cannot lose your temper so easily. I won't always be able to bail you out."

"Sure you will. You're a tough caporegime after all right? And besides, that motherfucker was asking for it." Faster than I would have thought physically possible, a hard hand gripped the back of my neck and jerked me forward so that my face was less than an inch from my fathers' blazing stare.

"You will never," He spat, his face twisted in anger."I mean never…speak like that again, you hear me? You do not ever say those words in public. God what the hell is wrong with you, do you know what could happen if someone heard you? Why do you think we're moving from the city? Why, Edward?"

"Fuck you!" I seethed, jerking away from his grip. I knew if he wanted to keep hold of me he could have easily, but he released his hold and continued to observe me with cold eyes. My stare was just as bitter as I watched his entire demeanor change once more, his body relaxing so that he became my father again, not the hardened Caporegime he had been moments ago. I knew mentioning his long standing involvement with the La Cosa Nostra wasn't a good idea the moment the words were leaving my mouth, but I was so pissed off I really didn't give a flying shit one way or the other. He was the one who decided to get involved with that gang of scum anyway.

"Get up." He told me after a moment. His voice was quiet, but when I didn't make a move he grabbed me roughly by the shoulders and pulled me to my feet. "What the-" I began, but he quickly cut me off.

"I said get up. Now come, I have to drop you off at the airport…you have a plane to catch." He released me with a shove and I straightened my clothes, glaring openly at him.

"What?" I asked sarcastically, following him quickly up the street to where he had parked his car. "You're not coming to keep an eye on me?"

He grinned darkly over at me and we stepped up to his shiny black Mercedes and he unlocked the doors.

"Oh, believe, me I would, but as it so happens I received a call while I was waiting to speak to your principal and the boys' family…I will have to stay until the end of the week."

"Of course you do." I muttered as I climbed into the front seat, shutting the door with more force than was probably necessary. "I'm going to go out on the limb and say the call wasn't from the hospital." He didn't answer, and that was all the confirmation I needed. As a member of the Italian mafia my father pretty much led two very different lives. In one of them he was an upstanding doctor that saved the lives of innocent people whenever he could. In the other, he was cold blooded killer who ended someone's life whenever he was told to do it.

It was a pretty fucked up way to live life.

"Your mother can handle things at the new house for a few days." He said as he pulled onto the street. "There shouldn't be that much activity at the new place until I get there anyway."

"Yeah, the party doesn't start until you arrive right?" His answer was a sharp look in my direction, to which I smirked and shrugged my shoulders.

It was the truth, anyway. His shit with the La Cos Nostra always seemed to be brought home and it was us who had to suffer because of it, even though it wasn't us who took some blood oath that was borderline Cult. We drove the rest of the way to the airport in silence, the radio quietly playing some instrumental jazz while we drove through the awakening city. It didn't take us long to get to JFK, the traffic being unusually light for a Tuesday morning.

"Alright," he said once he pulled the car over to the drop-off curb of the airport. "Here is your ticket, car keys, and the directions to the house from the Port Angeles Airport. Emmett drove your car, so it will be waiting for you in the parking lot when you get there."

"Huh, you sound concerned."

"I'm your father Edward, of course I want to make sure you get home safely."

"Whatever." I said with a snort of amusement. "I still can't believe we're leaving New York to go live in the middle of fucking nowhere. Couldn't you just leave me with Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Eddie?" I had always been very close with them anyway, my parents even named me after the damn man. He and my father were Iike real brothers, though it was only through marriage. I didn't think my aunt and uncle would mind having me around for a while until I turned eighteen.

"No." He said with a knowing smirk. "I happen to be very fond of my in-laws. I wouldn't do that to them."

"Shit." I said mocked, placing a hand over my heart. "I think I'm offended."

"Edward." He sighed," Can you please try to state just one sentence without the use of words like shit or fuck?" I rolled my eyes and pushed open the door and shut it behind me before leaning down though open window. I smirked.

"Fuck, I can try….but shit if I know."

"Be good for your mother." He said with a shake of his head then leveled his gaze on me. "I'll see you soon." He rolled up the window and he pulled away from the curb, and I watched the sleek black car disappear around a small white storage building. I sucked in a deep breath as I thought over his words. It was pretty sick when you considered your father telling you he'll see you soon as more of a threat than something to look forward to. I couldn't think about it long though, and after I could no longer see the car I turned on my heel and walked through the automatic doors. I didn't have any luggage with me because it was all with the movers, so I made it into the waiting area in record time which was good because they were already boarding my damn row by the time I figured out where I was supposed to be. I found my seat on the plane quickly, silently thanking my father for the first class ticket as I saw a young mother boarding coach with an infant screaming its head off. I had no urge to sit with that for a flight that would last hours. I put in the ear buds to my mp3 player and rested my head back onto the seat, letting the classic sounds of Beethoven lure me into the depths of unconsciousness. I felt the plane begin to turn and begin its trek down the runway a few moments later.

* * *

_1998 – Warehouse just outside New York City_

"_I want to go home, please let me go home…I won't tell anyone, I promise." Tears streamed unchecked down my face as I looked in terror at the two massive figures standing and talking quietly across the dimly lit room. I didn't know where I was, but it was cold and dark, the floor was wet from a leaking roof. I didn't like it there, I wanted to go back home to the nice warm bed my mommy had tucked me in to. The two dark figures didn't respond to my plea, made no indication that they'd even heard me, and I suddenly began to get angry. They couldn't ignore me, I wasn't a baby! I stood up from my spot in the shadows of the room. Snowy, my fuzzy white teddy bear fell to the damp floor as I jutted my chin out defiantly and yelled even louder to get the scary mens' attention._

"_My daddy is going to find you!" I yelled at their big, hulking backs."He's going to be really mad you took me!" I saw their forms stiffen at my words and then suddenly they stood straight and turned to face me. The light from the dim lamp was coming from behind them so I could still only see their outlines as they took a step toward me._

"_Go shut that damn kid up!" One of the figures bellowed, and my eyes widened in fear as the other began to stalk toward me. I backed up into the wall as far as I could, shutting my eyes as tight as I could as I waited …_

* * *

"Sir...sir?" I felt something cold and hard shaking me on my shoulder, and I instinctively shot my hand out and tightly gripped the wrist to restrain it. I opened my eyes then to see a somewhat startled older woman in a stewardess uniform leaning over me with a concerned frown. I shook my head softly to clear the fog in my head, forgetting for a brief moment where I was until I remembered that I was on a plane to Nowheresville Washington, not in some little shack just outside the city limits of New York.

"Sorry." I murmured to the woman, letting go of her wrist and running my hand through my messy hair.

"It's alright." She said with a small smile."You looked uncomfortable, and were beginning to disturb some of the other passengers, so I thought I'd wake you up to see if you wanted a drink before we land in a few minutes."

"Uh…no, I'm good thanks." She nodded and walked back down the aisle. I brought my hands to my face and rubbed roughly at the flesh. It had felt like I had been right back there in that room again, my four year old self trying to be brave even though he had been so terrified the front of his footy pajamas was wet.

_Fucking great! _I thought with a heavy sigh. _Now I'm talking in my damn sleep when I have a nightmare? That's just all kinds of motherfucking great! _I groaned in irritation and threw my head back against the seat again, waiting for the plane to land. It seemed to take forever to touch down, but once we were finally on the ground I was one of the first to get off the aircraft, so I quickly made my way through the small almost deserted airport to the equally empty parking lot where I easily found my Shiny silver Volvo parked near the back exit. After briefly making sure Emmett didn't dent or damage her in any way on his joy ride across the country, I smiled and sighed in pleasure, opening the door and sliding onto the soft, buttery red leather seats. My whole family, especially my father, thought my attachment to the car he got me when I turned sixteen was a bit odd, but I didn't care. It was sexier to me than any damn woman I had met, and more reliable than any person I had ever known. Fuck them, I loved my damn car and I didn't care if they knew it. The one good thing about moving from New York was that I would actually have more opportunities to drive her around and let her really purr.

After a few moments of reuniting with my baby, I closed the door and allowed her to roar to life. I pulled the directions to the new house out of my jacket pocket and set them on the dashboard before maneuvering the car onto the street and speeding down the road in the direction of the small town of Forks. It wasn't a hard drive to be honest. Brilliant green trees the likes of which New York, the concrete jungle, had never seen lined the roads and I made the hour long trip from Port Angeles in half the time, speeding past a dilapidated wooden sign that read "The Town of Forks Welcomes You."

_You have got to be kidding me_, I thought, slowing down a little and examining what littler there was of the town. All the buildings looked as if they had been there for centuries, family businesses handed down through the generations – old brick buildings and wooden shacks. It was like something out of the damn Twilight Zone. I shook my head in disbelief and pressed my foot down on the gas pedal and sped up, turning onto Oak Street where our new house was a few moments later. Finding it was pretty easy, there were only about three on the whole lane so when I reached the house with the right address on it, I parked the Impala on the street out front.

_Well here I go_, I thought to myself, letting out a deep breath before getting out of the car and walking up the stone path to the front door. The house was small, had white paneling with several small windows and blue planter boxes full of yellow flowers. It was the complete opposite of our New York brownstone, and was definitely something my sister had helped pick out. The navy blue front door opened just as I was about to knock a moment later, and I was suddenly greeted by the smiling face of my mother. Her hair was pulled back from her face in a neat bun, showing off her light blue eyes, and she was clad in a comfortable pair of grey pants and white top.

"Hello _meile_!" She cried happily and pulled me into a tight hug."How was your flight?"

"Hey mom, it was fine I guess. I slept through most of it."

"Good." She said, letting go of me and hurrying me inside. "I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up at the airport, your father called but I needed to oversee the movers. Besides, I thought you might have felt like a drive." She winked and I gave her a small smile in thanks. That right there was why I loved my mother. Not a word about what had happened at the school, or the confrontation with dad-something I knew she was already aware of. No, she just knew that I would want to be alone and made it happen.

"You thought right. It seemed like fucking forever since I've gotten to drive my baby around."

"Watch your mouth, Edward. You know I don't like that word."

"Sorry." I told her, shrugging my shoulders lightly. She smiled and then led me on a quick tour of the bottom level of the house—there wasn't much—before showing me up to my room. It was all so different from New York. Instead of plush, crème colored carpet, there were cold, dark hard wood floors. And instead of colorfully painted walls that brightened up the rooms, the walls were an off-white color that gave the house a quiet air of sophistication. It was nice, very much my mother in style, but it was different.

"Here you go." she said, gesturing to the closed door of my new room. "Of course you can paint and decorate it once everyone has settled down. But for now, you're boxes and piano are in there to you get started. Alright?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Well, I have some work to do in my new office." She lifted her delicate wrist to check the time on her white and gold Versace watch. "But I'll come get you when dinner is ready. Alright?"

"Sure…I won't bug you." She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then left to go downstairs, and it wasn't until she was out of site that I turned the knob and opened the door. It smelled weird, and boxes labeled with my name sat in the center of the room waiting to be unpacked. The only thing that was ready to go was my old piano that sat next to the open window on the other side of the room. I walked over to window and looked out, realizing with some surprise that there was actually a small balcony connected to it that almost touched the balcony of the other house next door. Having lived on a street of Brownstones, I probably shouldn't have thought that the practically conjoined balconies were weird, but I wasn't sure I liked the idea of sharing spaces with some complete stranger.

I turned away from the window and walked back across the room, turning on my mp3 player to a random playlist before I began opening and unpacking some of the boxes. I figured it gave me something to do, and that way I wouldn't have to deal with it all later when I actually had something else I could be doing. I got through maybe three of the boxes of crap before I got bored with the whole unpacking thing and turned off my music. I turned in a slow circle before walking across the room to the piano. I sat slowly down at the dark wooden bench and ran my hands over the cold keys, remembering the nightmare I had on the plane earlier. It was so vivid, so real, that I would have sworn I was a four year boy again. I sighed and adjusted my fingers slightly before pressing down on the keys, causing deep vibrato to sound through the room. It wasn't an overly loud sound since I hadn't pressed down much, but while I stared down at my fingers resting on the keys I was suddenly overcome with the need to just…play. I allowed myself to let go then, feeling the emotions flow out of me through my fingers and into the instrument at their tips. I just played and felt, loosing track of the time and playing for U don't know how long. After a while I became increasingly exhausted both physically and mentally, so I began to let the melody wind down naturally until I finally trailed off with one final soft note.

I must have fallen asleep at the bench after I played because the next thing I knew I was once again woken by a small hand shaking me.

"Edward…" A cheerful voice said suddenly. "Come on, wake up…we have to go to school."

I groaned and shook her hand off my shoulder.

"Jesus, Alice…what the hell time is it?"

"Seven fifteen…we have to go if you're going to get your class schedule." I heard her bounce lightly from the room and groaned while I sat up, stretching my arms over my head. My body was sore from the awkward position I had slept in all night, but at least I hadn't had another nightmare. It was an extremely rare occurrence for me to sleep through the night without waking up panting and in a cold sweat, so I wasn't going to question the fact that it happened.

I'd take the soreness in my neck over that any fucking day.

Rubbing my eyes I yawned and stood and quickly changed into a fresh shirt before making my way downstairs to the kitchen. Mom must have still been asleep upstairs because Emmett and Alice sat talking at the wooden breakfast table alone.

"Hey douche bag." Emmett said with his mouth full as I walked into the room. "Why didn't you answer my call yesterday? I had something important to tell you."

"Nice to see you too asshole…well I was sort of busy you know. I'm sure it wasn't anything you couldn't tell me now."

"True…I've met my future wife."

"Correction—" Alice began, but I cut her off when I took a seat next to hear and realized there was nothing on the table but a bright box of…_Fruity Pebbles_?

_Fucking Emmett, only he would pick out something as prissy as Fruity Pebbles._

"Hey, wait a minute. Guys, where are all the Marmellata and damn Brioche? Emmett, you dick…you go and eat it all?"

"No he didn't." Alice replied with a roll of her eyes. She passed me the box of cereal. "Mom hasn't made any yet, so we're stuck with cereal. Now where was I before I was so rudely interrupted? Oh, yes. Emmett has met a pretty girl who is tall, has blue eyes and apparently likes cars." She raised a knowing eyebrow at Emmett and I scoffed in amusement as I poured a bowl of colorful flakes and took a bite.

"Like I said, "Emmett announced."My future wife."

"Oh, please!" I said with a sneer, "There is no way in hell that dad would let you get with anyone outside of the family, and you know it." It went silent and neither of them said anything for long as they thought over the truths of my statement. It had never really been a huge issue with any of us before, as we had all just been fooling around and having a good time, but we all knew getting serious with someone outside of the family would be too dangerous. They would never be accepted by the others because they would always be thought of as a liability, and that fact would put them in danger from people who wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

"It could happen." Emmett said quietly after a few moments. "I mean, we're not members of organization right? We're not bound to their rules."

"We're as bound to their rules as our father." I told him as finished off my cereal. "Get your tits and ass and be done with it alright?"

"Edward is right." Alice whispered, and I nodded. "Well, not about the first part, that was offensive. But you really shouldn't even talk to Rosalie…not if you really like her." Emmett stared at us both for long moment, a look of disbelief on his face before he stood from his chair and shook his head.

"You guys are sad." He said with a deep frown."I can't believe you're both that messed up….I mean, giving up just because of what our father does? Edward, you don't follow the rules anyway so what's so different now?" There was nothing different, but I hadn't been joking when I said we were bound by the La Cosa Nostas' rules as much as our father. True, we didn't have to drop our shit and go running whenever Marcus Alfano, the all powerful Boss of the family, came calling. But we had to watch ourselves or, as a made man of the organization, any form of punishment, death included, would be taken out on our father. That's how it had been since the La Cosa Nostra's emersion in the mid-nineteenth century. I wasn't so indifferent toward the man that I wanted him blamed and killed for any of my screw ups.

"Just drop it." I told him, getting up and dropping my bowl in the sink. "I mean you met this chick yesterday right? What are the odds it gets fucking serious huh? Come on…let's get to damn school before we're late." They followed me outside to the Impala and Alice got a strange look on her face when she looked over and saw a beat up red truck that looked like it was time warped from the seventies, and not in a good way, parked in the driveway next door.

"Huh." She said softly. "Bella hasn't left yet…I hope her arm is feeling better today."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her. I pulled open the door to the Impala and sat down in the driver's seat. "Who the hell is Bella?"

"She's our new neighbor." Alice told me, climbing over me into the backseat behind Emmett. "She hurt her arm tripping over her backpack and falling down the stairs."

"Wow…she sounds like a complete space cadet. You two get along nicely, I'll bet."

"Hey!" Alice cried, slapping me on the shoulder. "She's really nice…and to be honest I don't really believe her story about tripping."

"And why's that?"

"I don't know…just the way she said it, almost like she was thinking it up as she told me. And did you see the way she jumped back from you in the principal's office? She was terrified of you Emmett."

"Well that's not really an unusual reaction." He told her. "I mean people, especially girls, are a bit taken aback by how big I am."

"Shit." I grinned, letting out a small laugh. "Isn't that what he said?" Emmett doubled over in his seat and laughed while Alice just huffed in annoyance.

"You guys are so immature" She said with a shake of her head."But yeah, I guess you're right Emmett." He nodded, and when the fucker finally managed to wipe the tears from his eyes, he directed me into the school parking lot. There was only a sparse scattering of cars parked in the stalls, and the tall wire fence gave the whole scene more of a prison feel than that of a high school. It was fitting I guess, seeing as how this place pretty much was my own damn prison. We all let the conversation drop after that as I parked the car, grimacing slightly when I got out and noticed the scratches on the door of the Honda parked next to it. If they so much as put one dent or scratch on my baby I would seriously mess them up. I shut the door and tossed my backpack over my shoulder. The three of us walked across the pathetic student parking lot to the main building of the school, students openly staring and whispering as we passed them. It was insane that three new kids could cause this much of a commotion, though in a town of less than a thousand people I guess anything would be considered big news.

"I feel like a damn novelty." I said, my eyes shifting around. "Was it like this yesterday?"

"Sure was." Alice said with a laugh. "Although I think some of the girls are more interested now." As she said the words I noticed two brunettes standing by the far wall of one of the buildings, staring and practically panting as they eyed me up and down. It was like they hadn't seen a guy in years, and Emmett and I were the fresh meat they couldn't wait to taste.

"They better cut that shit out or I'm going to fucking give them something to look at."

"Oh, calm down Edward. The newness will wear off in a day or two."

"I hope so. I feel like a lamb being led to slaughter." I mumbled, pulling the collar of my jacket up a little bit. Emmett ditched us once we reached the sidewalk of the main building. He apparently had Spanish on the other side of the school, but Alice walked me to the main office before leaving with a promise to see me at lunch. I got my schedule from the chunky secretary whose name plate read Mrs. Cope, and made my way to first period just as the bell rang to signal that I was late.

Whatever.

I realized as the morning went on that Forks High was ridiculously small compared to Dalton, which to this day I swear has classrooms insides of the damn classrooms. In fact, when it came time to second period biology I think the only thing that changed was the teacher since I recognized at least half of my first period class. None of them approached me thankfully, since I wasn't in the talking mood after my bitch of an English teacher forced me to go in front of the class during first period and talk about myself.

Seriously, who does that anymore?

I sat near the back of the lab at the only table that had been empty by the time I got there, watching in annoyance as the other students, while not approaching me, continued to stare at me with interest and talk idly with their partners. It was lucky for them that the teacher, Mr. Banner, chose that moment to get up from behind his desk and begin the class. I swear I was close to losing my damn mind and screaming at them to take a fucking picture since it would last longer.

"Before we begin the lesson today I'm going to take roll to make sure everyone is here" Mr. Banner announced, opening a blue folder. "So here we go. Heather Anderson?

"Here."

"Nathan Baker?"

"Here."

"Caroline Lawrence?"

"Here"

"Edward Cullen?" "

"Here" I called, my tone doing nothing to hide my boredom.

"Mike Newton?"

"Here."

"Beth Reese?"

"Here."

"Isabella Swan?" There was silence while the class waited for someone to answer. "Swan?" There was still no answer a minute later and Mr. Banner waited another moment before marking the absence and moving on.

* * *

**La Cosa Nostra****- **The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra) is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering. Each group, known as a "family", "clan", or _"Cosca_", claims sovereignty over a territory in which it operates its rackets – usually a town or village or a neighbourhood (_borgata_) of a larger city. Its members call themselves "men of honor", though the public often refers to them as "mafiosi".**  
**

**Caporegime** -A caporegime (or _capodecina_) is a high ranking member of a crime family and one of the Don's most trusted allies. A _capo_ (which is Italian for captain) is in charge of a crew called a regime, which usually consists of up to twenty soldiers and many more associates. Traditionally, capodecina indicated that the capo commanded ten soldati and any possible number of associates, though in the past (or in the event of a war) the crew had a larger number of men, and due to changes in time with regards to strength, influence, loyalty or feared descent of a capo, more loyal caporegimes were beefed up. Capos run their own family territory but must follow the limitations and guidelines created by the boss, as well as pay him his cut of their profits. Capos are nominated by the underboss, but typically chosen by the boss himself.

**_Meile_** - Italian term of endearment. Meaning "honey"

**Marmellata - **jams of different types [of good quality often made with chunky pieces of fruit throughout] - probably home/monastery made from fruit from the monastery's orchard

**Brioche - **Italian breakfast pastries, usually flaky and fresh. Melt in your mouth.


	4. Paradise

**Chapter 3: **Paradise

* * *

"_Mommy?" I asked, skipping into the kitchen and coming to a stop where she stood at the sink._

"_Yes baby?"_

"_Do you think I will get married someday?" She turned her attention from the delicate china plate she had been washing and stared down at me with a tender smile. The soft sun filtered through the small window in front of her and surrounded her as if she were an angel come down from heaven. She was the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Tall with clear, deep brown eyes that sparkled like big gems in the sun, and soft honey colored hair flowed over her shoulders, bouncing animatedly whenever she laughed. Mommy also had the most gentle touch, and always seemed to be able to comfort me through anything._

"_Yes Bella, I think you'll get married someday." She replied with a laugh._

"_How do you know?" I asked her, genuinely curious how she could be so sure. _

"_Because…" She smiled, putting the dish aside and lifting me up onto the tiled kitchen counter where I was face to face with her. "You're special Bella., and someday a boy will come along who is just as special as you are. You won't even know what hit you. It'll be that can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, world series kind of thing." I smiled at her quoting my favorite movie, It Takes Two, and thought about her description of love for a moment before I smiled even more widely at the prospect. My grin left as quickly as it came though, and I frowned again as another thought came to me. _

"_How will I know who he is?"_

"_You just will." She whispered, placing her hand on my chest. "Your heart will tell you."_

"_But how do you know mommy?" I urged, and she just rolled her eyes with a laugh._

"_So curious…I know Bella, because I am you're mother and mom's know everything."_

"_That doesn't make sense." I pouted, but she just gently patted me on the head and chuckled. I continued to sit on the counter swinging my little legs as she finished the dishes, and just as she placed the last coffee cup in the drainer, the familiar deep crunch of gravel coming from the front of the house caught our attention._

"_Daddy's home." She announced with a grin, and I let out a squeal of excitement before hoping off the counter so I could go and greet my other favorite person in the whole wide world._

"Isabella!"

"Mmmm…" I sighed dreamily, turning over onto my stomach and cuddling my comforter. "Sleepy…"

"Isabella!" My eyes shot open as a loud voice broke through my subconscious, and I heard heavy footsteps pounding up the staircase outside my room. Shaking my head softly to relieve the sleep, I took a deep breath and sat up slowly, gazing quickly around the space in an effort to try and quickly guess what was going on. I blinked in confusion at first when I saw that it was still pitch black outside my still open window, a small breeze fluttering the old yellow curtains gently while heavy shadows from the trees in the yard marred the faded blue walls of my room. After a moment I remembered the exhaustion I had felt earlier, the beautiful melody of the piano next door, and with a sudden I start realized that I must have fallen asleep. My head whipped back to face the bedroom door.

"Isabella Marie Swan!" The harsh tone of Charlie's voice as it came closer caused my breath to catch in my throat, and I instinctively looked around for someplace to hide. There wasn't any place to run though, and Charlie's would find me no matter where I tried to hide, probably making his temper worse if I even tried. Still, something in his voice was telling me to get away. My eyes stealthily scanned the dark corners of the little room, but I knew immediately that wouldn't work because the moon filtering through my window was too bright to for complete darkness. I considered the tiny closet and under the bed, discarding the options as quickly as they came because they were way too obvious to full Charlie. I listened with panic for a brief moment as the footsteps came closer, and then bedroom door slammed open with a second later. Charlie' black silhouette stood tall and broad in the center of the space, taking up almost the entire doorframe.

"You lazy little piece of crap." He hissed when saw me sitting on my bed, and I flinched at the menace in his tone. I didn't know what to say, so I just sat there and watched with wide eyes as he walked in and stalked across the room before shutting my window with a slam, drawing the faded curtains over them over the glass with a snap. The material was relatively sheer, so it didn't shut out much light, but the action itself was enough to make me apprehensive.

"You know," Charlie said with sudden detachment as he turned to face me. "I really thought you learned your lesson Bella. I thought that maybe…just maybe…you understood your place in this house."

"I do." I whispered, scooting back on the bed as took a step forward. "I do understand, I swear."

"No, I don't think so. Or if you do, well that just makes it worse doesn't it?" My eyes widened even further as I took in the meaning of his words. He thought I was stepping out of line in defiance. He thought that whatever I had done this time to make him upset was me acting out on purpose.

"I…I…"

"Which is it Bella? Do you or don't you or don't you know your place?"

"I…I …" My speech stuttered as I tried to think clearly. I didn't like this Charlie staring down at me with depthless eyes, he was much too calm. At least when he was red in the face and yelling I knew what was coming and I could try my best to prepare myself for it. Not now though. I didn't know what was happening but I had a bad feeling that he was just waiting for me to say something that would ignite a vengeance in him I hadn't seen before. I tried to answer again, but before I could even formulate a full sentence, I felt Charlie' hard fist connect soundly with the side of my face, causing my body to reel back against the headboard of the bed. I cried out as my already injured arm bore the brunt of the force, the pain of it almost knocking me unconscious right then. Unfortunately it didn't, and I began to feel a sharp, stinging burn on my face near my right eye as I saw white pinpricks of light suddenly cloud my vision.

"It looks like I might have to be a little more forceful you." He said, his lips at my ear. I let out a quiet whimper. Steeling myself for another strike, I closed my blurry eyes tight in anticipation of another strike. The blow never came though, instead he released his painful grip on my hair and shoved me forcefully to the bed. I immediately curled my body into a small, protective ball and waited in silence as he glared down at me before stalking toward the door and shutting it loudly behind him. I heard a soft click as Charlie locked me inside the darkened room, and I shut my eyes forcefully again as I steadied my breathing.

_It's alright…you're alright, just breathe slow and deep._

After I managed to calm my breathing down I opened my eyes and lay on the bed in the cold silence. I watched the door to the room warily, hearing the click of the lock in my mind, and waiting for Charlie to come back. He never did. And while that fact should have probably made me feel slightly better, it only managed to make me feel even more tense and anxious. It was not like him to let me off with a smack when he was clearly beyond furious about something I had done, so I knew there was something else coming, and the waiting around was torture. After a few hours, though I wished I could stay awake and keep watch, my body began to betray me and my eyelids began to droop as the familiar feeling of exhaustion set in again. I couldn't fight it, and didn't really want to, so I slowly allowed myself to be drawn into the deep waters of sleep as I hugged my pillow to my body. I woke the next day to the sound of the front door being slammed shut and groaned softly as I turned onto my back. I brought the hand of my good arm up to my eyes to wipe the sleep away, but barely made contact before I quickly pulled my hand away when I felt the soreness radiating from the spot. I grunted heavily and stood slowly from the bed, my legs somewhat wobbly. I knew full well that there would be a black eye staring back at me when I looked in the mirror, but there wasn't much time to worry about it, because if Charlie had already left for work then I was running late for school—again. I made my way lazily to the door before reaching out for the old brass knob. It wouldn't turn, and a soft clicking noise told me that the lock was still in place. I tried it again with the same results, my dread growing with each half turn of the icy metal.

I dropped my hand from the knob and backed away from the door, understanding washing over me like a wave of frigid water. I glanced quickly around the small room, feeling panic build in my chest as I realized I was essentially trapped. For some reason I had never been good with being confined into places, especially relatively small places like the bedroom. Usually I was fine because I would just leave the door open when Charlie wasn't home, but there was no telling how long he would keep me locked in the small room, or what he was planning on doing when he got home. What if he never let me out? Would anyone even notice I was gone? My shallow breaths came faster and faster as various dark scenarios ran through my head, and after a moment I found myself planted on the dark, hardwood floor, hyperventilating. I glanced up from under my lashes, my right arm wrapped protectively around my torso, and the empty blue walls seemed as if they were moving closer and closer until they were about crush me between them. A small scream escaped me and I jumped up and ran to the window, throwing it open with my good hand and sticking my head out into the frigid morning air.

_You're fine. _I assured myself, gulping at the morning air greedily_. You're fine. It was all in your head…_

I stood up straight and leaned my forehead against the ice-cold glass of the window, continuing to take deep breaths before finally calming down enough to turn back to the room. The walls were exactly where they should be, and I breathed a deep sigh of relief before deciding that I had to do something, anything, to distract myself from the endless waiting and tortuous wondering. Still a slightly shaken, I walked slowly over to my computer desk and grabbed my old, worn copy of _Wuthering Heights_. Reading had always provided an escape for me when things got to be too much. The stories allowed me to enter different worlds that, even when the plot was bleak, were always so much better than my own. Clutching the book tightly in my hand, I shuddered a breath and sat back on the bed before opening the cover to where a small piece of wrinkled notebook paper acted as a bookmark.

I tried to ignore the ever present feelings of tense claustrophobia and spent the next couple of hours immersed in the world of Emily Bronte. There was no clock in my room to tell me the time, but it must have been some in the afternoon, when the doorbell rang out and caused a high pitched, tinkling noise to sound through the house. The loud noise caused me to jump and I looked over at the bedroom door anxiously before setting the book down and listening intently. I knew it wasn't Charlie, because he wouldn't ring his own doorbell. But whoever was at the door pressed the little button over and over for a couple of minutes. They were persistent, but after a few minutes they apparently decided to give up and the house went silent again. I sighed deeply and tried to get back in to my book, but I couldn't help the apprehension that filled me as time once again became relevant and I thought of Charlie.

As the sun began to set outside my window I felt myself throwing more and more uneasy glances at the door. I felt the numbers on my mental clock tick by, and when I finally heard the front door open downstairs I was already on my feet backing away. I listened cautiously to the muffled movement below as Charlie made his way into the kitchen, and I was reminded of the fact that I hadn't eaten since early afternoon of the day before. My stomach growled loudly and painfully at the thought of food and water, but it was hardly the foremost thought in my head as I heard Charlie begin making his way upstairs. The footsteps paused suddenly outside my room, and I could see the shadow of his feet through the space under the door where glow from the hall acted as a backlight. I held my breath, waiting to hear the lock click and see the knob turn. I shut my eyes and waited but when nothing happened, I opened them again just in time to see the shadow under the door move away. The door to Charlie' room suddenly shut loudly down the hall a moment later.

My brow furrowed in confusion and I let out the breath I was holding as I walked slowly to the old wooden door. Putting my ear to the wood, I listened hesitantly for any sound that would signify that Charlie was on his way back, but after a couple of minutes of silence, I backed away and went to my bed. I put the small book I had been reading on the nightstand and clicked the light of the lamp off, throwing the room into semi-darkness. Biting my lip, I lay down and rested my head on the pillow, keeping my eyes focused on the door until I was unable to keep them open anymore.

The long, dragging days that followed happened in pretty much the same way. I woke to the loud slam of the front door as Charlie left for work, and waited out the hours until he got home anxiously staring at the door and trying to ignore my claustrophobia. I didn't know why, but he never came into the room. When he got home from the Police station he basically ignored the fact that I even existed which was fine by me. Fine, except for the fact that by Wednesday I could barley hold my head up, the lack of food and water takings its toll on my body and mind. I couldn't even distract myself with reading. It felt like one huge cramp each time my stomach grumbled in anger, and my body convulsed slightly whenever a cramping pain overtook me. I didn't move from my bed all of Wednesday, just drifted in and out of consciousness with my mind too foggy to comprehend anything beyond the thought of hunger and dehydration. I didn't even hear Charlie come home that last night, but the next time I gained semi-consciousness it was to a tight grip on the back of my neck.

"Had enough?" Charlie' voice sounded menacing in my ear. "Are you going to be a good girl now Bella?" I didn't answer him. I couldn't have even if I wanted to, but when I didn't make any attempt Charlie shook me and tightened his grip around my neck. "I asked you a question, now you better answer before I lock you in here again. Are you going to be a good girl and do as you are told?"

I nodded meekly and he released his harsh grip on my neck, causing me to fall back onto the bed with a soft thud before he roughly picked me back up and put something cold to my lips.

"Drink." He stated crisply, shoving the glass a little harder at me when I didn't. I felt so drained of energy, but I lifted my head a little and as soon as the cool liquid managed to touch my lips, I opened my mouth a littler wider and consumed the whole glass of water ravenously. It only took me a second to finish the tall glass, and when it was empty I heard Charlie set it down on the wooden floor. I closed my eyes again, feeling only slightly better and thinking that Charlie would once again leave and lock me inside. Instead, after a moment I felt something else at my lips and opened my eyes to see him holding a sandwich in front of me. He didn't say a word, but the look in his eyes told me that I had better eat, so I took a small bite of the rubbery egg and cheese concoction, keeping my eyes on the wall across the room and off of Charlie. Being so starved, it was a bit painful to eat the food, but it again took me only a moment to finish and then he stood from the bed.

"Get up." He told me as he stooped to pick up the glass, "You need to clean yourself up before you're late for school. And for god's sake put some damn make-up on your face before you go." I watched vaguely as he disappeared from the doorway, leaving it wide open behind him. I laid there immobile for only a second before struggling to sit up. If he was really letting me out, he didn't have to tell me twice. Swinging my legs languidly over the side of the small bed, I stood and gradually hobbled my way down the narrow hall to the bathroom.

I heard Charlie leave just as I opened the door to bathroom, the loud, angry crunch of gravel a familiar sound. Because he was gone, I was able to spend a little longer in the steaming shower, letting the warm water ease my muscles and wash away the griminess of three days without cleaning. When I finally managed to leave the soothing relief that the warm water offered, I rubbed my hand across the fogged mirror of the medicine cabinet and gasped at the reflection staring back at me. I was paler than usual, white as a ghost, and my translucent looking skin looked as if it were stretching painfully over my bones. My top lip was busted near the right corner of my mouth, and the black eye, while I knew it was already healing, seemed intensely worse against my pallid face. Raising my hand to my face, I lightly touched the darkened wound on my face before bringing it back down to my side. It was odd that Charlie would hit me on the face when he had been so careful this past year to restrain himself. I must have really upset him the other night, whatever it was I had done.

Fifteen minutes later, I was nowhere near restored or feeling good. But the plate of food, glass of water and hot shower had at least given me a decent little pick-me-up. I was able to work somewhat quickly to give my cheeks some color, brushing on the crumbled pink powder liberally across my skin. The _concealer I used to try and cover the bruises on my face was _a shade darker than my skin tone, which cost me more time since I had to make sure to blend everything really well. It took about another fifteen minutes to make sure everything was good enough to show in public.

"Alright." I whispered softly to my pitiful reflection once I was fully dressed and looking at myself in the mirror. "This is as good as it's going to get." I still looked like a pathetic sewer rat that had just been pulled from a drain, but the makeup covered up a lot of the discoloration, and if I was careful I could block a lot of my face with my hair. I grabbed my bag from the bedroom, very much aware that it seemed significantly heavier in my weakened state, and made my way outside to my rusted truck before driving the mile and a half to school at a snails' pace. There were only a few minutes left before the final bell when I pulled into the lively student parking lot, so I maneuvered the truck through the throng of students and parked quickly before snatching my things from the passenger seat and making my way as quickly as I was able across the lot. I kept my head down as I walked, trying to go unnoticed, but I had barely managed to walk five feet before a cheerful, silvery voice shouted my name and stopped me in my tracks.

"Bella!" Alice called out, running to me from where she stood in front of a polished silver Volvo. She wore a broad smile on her doll-like face, but it quickly vanished when she reached my side. "Oh my god Bella, what happened to you?" She looked up at me with deep concern in her big emerald eyes, a frown now in place of her happy grin. I shook my head and racked my brain quickly for something to tell her, deciding on the first thing that my mind came up with that sounded plausible.

"Hey Alice…wait, what?" I asked her with a forced smile. "Oh…I umm…had a little accident on my way home from school on Tuesday. You know, the roads were really slick and it was hard to drive with one arm. I sort of lost control of my truck…it was nothing serious, don't worry I'm fine. The truck is all fixed up too." There was a long moment of intense silence between us as she appeared to scrutinize me, and being the horrible liar that I was, I hoped she didn't see right through me.

"Don't worry?" She cried suddenly, her voice rising so that it was almost shrill and I cringed slightly as I kept my focus on the ground. "I can't-"

"Alice, what the hell are freaking out about?" The sound of an unfamiliar lyrical voice suddenly cut her off mid rant, and I looked up from the asphalt just in time to see a guy come up and stop beside the worried girl. The boy was tall, his lean body merely hinted at by the light grey t-shirt he wore under his black jacket. His pale face was sculpted perfectly with a straight nose and high cheekbones while his eyes, the same beautiful shade of green as his sisters, were made even more vibrant by the odd copper color of his messy hair. I felt myself blush as I realized I was staring at the handsome boy in front of me and quickly turned my gaze back to the ground as Alice recounted the lie I told her moments before. My mothers' words about finding someone special floated back to me, but I shook the memory away quickly from my mind before I could get any stupid ideas. It was all just a pretty story tell a naïve little girl anyway. Like a fairytale that you grow out of as you grow up.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Alice said suddenly, turning to me with the frown still on her face. "Bella this is my brother Edward, the one I was telling you about the other day. Edward this is our neighbor, Bella."

"Nice...to…uh…meet you." I mumbled, shuffling my feet and keeping my gaze away from his face.

"Likewise." I heard him say. "So Alice told me you were a bit accident prone. You alright? You look a little banged up."

"I'm fine." I assured him, finally managing to look up into his eyes. Big mistake. There was a depth in them I had never seen in someone else our age, a guardedness I couldn't quite place. There was something in his gaze that instantly made me think there was more to him than the average teenage boy.

"My truck…" I stuttered dumbly, having to looking away again. "got uh…I mean…I…I lost control of my truck."

"Yeah, I heard you tell Alice. Looks like it's all fixed though."

"Right. Yeah, all fixed." The bell rang out then, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. Not wanting to be late, I said goodbye to Alice and Edward, promising Alice I would sit with her at lunch before making my way to first period. I could feel their curious eyes on me as I walked up the stairs and inside the building, but I ignored the unsettling feeling it caused and walked swiftly to class.

As expected, Mr. Varney didn't seem to be happy about my three days of absences, but he didn't send me to the principle so I was fully content to sit in silence at the back of the room and listen as he tried to teach how to conjugate the verb "to be." As usual I didn't understand what he trying to teach us. When the bell rang to signal the end of French class, I carefully put my book and folder into my backpack before filing out the door into the hallway. I walked slowly through down the hall, avoiding bumping into anyone, and out the building into the quad, walking slowly across the path until I saw two familiar figures disappear behind the science building. There was no mistaking the broad shoulders of Emmett Cullen or the shiny black waves of Rosalie Hale. Alice probably wouldn't be happy about that. It was strange since she didn't even know Rosalie, not that it would change her mind much if she did. But it wasn't my business to pry into their lives, and I stared at the now empty space for just a moment before moving on down the path to Biology.

I took my usual seat in the back of the small lab, bending down to get my workbook out of my backpack. I didn't have any idea how far behind I was in the current experiment, but I knew that since I didn't have a lab partner to keep up, it was going to be further than I wanted it be. I sighed softly as I quickly read over the directions that were laid out on the first page, and then spent the next few minutes filling out the pre-lab that was supposed be turned in two days ago.

"Well it's nice to know that at least one of us understands this shit." The pencil I had been writing with fell from my fingers as the same deep voice from the parking lot broke into my consciousness. I bit my bottom lip nervously for a moment, wincing when I bit at the broken flesh, then looked up into the curious eyes of Edward Cullen. I stared up into their cerulean depths for a long moment before I realized what I was doing and quickly brought myself back to reality.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted out, my face going warm as I realized I had basically just yelled at him. He didn't respond right away, and I watched out of the corner of eye as he set his folder down on the black lab desk before taking a seat on the stool next to me. He was so close I could smell the faint mixture of clean soap and musky cologne as it rose from warm his skin and assaulted my senses. I chided myself for the thoughts the scents were causing, knowing it wasn't a smart idea to even allow myself to go where my mind was taking me.

"I'm your lab partner." He said suddenly, a dark smirk lighting his face as he turned toward me. "Thanks for leaving me with all the work by the way. I mean a guy comes here, new I might add, and is saddled with all the damn work? I thought small towns were known for their neighborly hospitality or some shit."

"I…I didn't…" I had no idea what to say to that. He was absolutely right of course, he shouldn't have had to do all the work himself this week. I immediately felt bad for making him pick up my slack, even if it was out of my hands. I should have done more while locked in the bedroom.

"It was just a joke." He scoffed, raising an eyebrow at me as he saw the discomfort on my face. "Fucking relax, would you?"

"Sorry." I murmured, picking up my pencil from the desk and beginning to write again. My face was surely bright red and I tried to hide it from his view with my limp hair. The rest of the students began to file in then, and Edward didn't say another word as he opened his folder to a blank piece of notebook paper. He tapped his fingers absently on the pages, causing a soft thumping sound, before stilling them and exhaling a light breath.

"So." He said, his voice sounding curious though I still didn't look up from my assignment. "Why did you lie to my sister?"


	5. Lost

**Chapter 4:** Lost

* * *

My hands clamped down on the steering wheel of the Volvo in an effort to control my annoyance as a light sigh of frustration again penetrated the silence. We had only been in the damn car for a few minutes, and already the little girl in the back seat was grating on my nerves with her impatience. She was bouncing in her seat, gripping my shoulder painfully, and groaning when she thought I took a corner too damn slow. After five minutes of that shit I was just about to smack her hand away and tell her to calm the fuck down. Emmet beat me to it though.

"Alice, chill out…I'm sure the girl is fine." Emmett looked over his shoulder as he spoke, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Her name is Bella." Alice told him. "And you don't know that." I rolled my eyes at her need for drama. "We were supposed to meet up today at lunch. She said she would, but then she never came to school at all. I just have this weird feeling…"

"Alright." I announced, unable to take it anymore. "First off…you don't have some magic fucking powers that give you special feelings Alice. You just don't. Second, not everyone is as much of a saint as you and keeps their word all the time. She probably just forgot that she was supposed to meet you and decided to take a day off. I mean shit Alice, we only spent one day in that shit-hole school and I already want to damn break myself."

"God, you know what your problem is Edward?"

"He's an asshole?" I reached over and punched Emmett hard on his massive shoulder, shooting him an angry glare as he tried unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. He was such an immature douche sometimes.

"No Emmett, that's not it." Alice said with a sigh."He's too cynical. You don't trust anyone to ever do the right thing. Not even yourself."

"Can you blame me?" I asked her as I pulled the Volvo onto our street. "I mean look at our fucking lives, there hasn't been very much evidence to prove me wrong has there?

"He's sort of got a point." Emmett told her, and she huffed loudly as she threw herself back against the seat.

"No…he doesn't."

"Yes I do, and besides…I trust myself, and I trust you guys even though you tend to fuck shit up every now and then."

"Shut up dude, you're one to talk." I scoffed as I drove past the giant red truck Alice had been staring at that morning and pulled into the driveway. She wasted no time once I cut the engine to throw off her seat belt and push open the car door. Emmett and I climbed out after her and watched as she danced lithely across both lawns and hopped up the porch stairs to the little white house. It was two stories and almost as big as ours, but somehow it seemed...less. It was as if no care was taken to preserve the quaint charm that was common in that style of architecture. There was certainly no damn warmth in the peeling white siding or the shingled roofing that seemed to be almost falling apart. It was almost as if the house were abandoned; there was no feeling that a home had been built inside the pitiful structure. I supposed that we weren't the only ones with a fucked up sense of family dynamic. Adjusting my backpack higher on my right shoulder, I looked up to where the two balconies of the house almost touched.

"Dude I think she's gonna have an aneurysm." Emmett whispered to me, and I chuckled as I glanced over and watched Alice push the little doorbell relentlessly for a good five minutes. With a noticeable huff, she finally gave up and walked slowly back over to us, throwing a few dejected looks over her shoulder at the little house.

"Aw come on!" Emmett told her cheerfully. He reached out to her and tossed an arm around her tiny shoulders. "Don't look so sad."

"I know she's home, I just wonder why she would ignore me."

"Alice, I doubt the chick is ignoring you. Didn't you say earlier that she hurt her arm?" She nodded her spiky head. "Well, like I said before in the car, maybe she took the day off. I would love to take the day off from that shit hole, and I'm not even injured. She's probably just sleeping it off." Alice was about to answer but something behind me caught her eye and caused her to stiffen slightly before shifting a cautious gaze back to me. Turning a little to see what had gotten her upset so quickly, my eyes narrowed as I saw an all too familiar black Mercedes coming down the road followed by two more unidentifiable vehicles with deeply tinted black windows.

"Dad's home early." I heard Emmett say softly, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

"Yeah." Alice agreed quietly. "And it looks like he brought company."

"I am so fucking out of here." I growled, turning back and stalking down the driveway toward the Volvo I had just parked.

"Where are you going?" Emmett called and I heard the sudden apprehension and exhaustion in his voice. It wasn't the first time I had stormed off in the wake of an invasion of assholes.

"Out." I replied with finality." Just call me when they're gone."

"They're not leaving for a few days Edward." I stopped mid-step and turned back to look at mother who must have just walked out onto the front porch. Her caramel hair was floating gently at her shoulders in soft waves, and her sad eyes were set off by the light blue hue of her cashmere sweater. "Come on Edward, just come into the house. Of course you don't have to talk to them, but Jasper is with your father…"

"Jasper's with dad?" A small smile graced Alice's lips and her green eyes turned dreamy at the mention of my former best friend. I suppressed a disgusted scoff at her ridiculous, long standing infatuation with Jasper Whitlock. She thought none of us knew about her little crush, including Jasper, but it had been so painfully obvious from the time she was eight that it was almost pathetic. When we were kids she would follow us around incessantly, trying to hang out whenever we watched a movie, played a game, or some other shit. It was annoying as all hell and most of the time I told her to go bug Emmett or something and leave us alone. She never did. As we got older Alice gave up on that course of action, and stopped trying to be one of the guys. Instead she got a credit card and a trip to the mall from mom and began to utilize Jasper's weakness for brunettes in skimpy clothing to her advantage. If she knew he was coming over, she'd be in a tight pair of booty shorts and shear tank top at least thirty minutes before he got there so that it would wrinkle a little and look like she had been in them all day and hadn't just changed.

Also, because my bedroom was in the hall off the dining room, Alice would make sure that she needed something from the kitchen every fifteen minutes. She would always stop at my door and ask if we needed anything, frowning a little when we both told her no. She was fucking clueless to the fact the Jasper was completely aware of what she was doing. Not that he didn't enjoy the attention she gave, he did. Alice was pretty and exactly his type of girl, but he never acted on it out of respect to me and her. She was like his little sister also.

To others, even me at times, Jasper had always seemed a bit dangerous and menacing because he was so damn pensive all the time. And when he did speak he could be really fucking intense. The fact that he wasn't afraid to pound the shit out of someone also helped, and his damn southern accent lent itself to his rebellious air also. He was as nice as a damn angel to Alice though, and never let on that he knew about her infatuation with him and his "A-MAZ-ING ass" as I heard say to her friend Mimi once. No, he was the perfect southern gentleman with her and he treated her like the sister he never had and always wanted. She hated that shit. I loved it because it pissed her off to no end.

"Of course Jasper is with him." I told Alice. There was bitterness in my voice that I couldn't hide. "He's his fucking lackey now, remember? Why the hell would I want to see him?" I pulled my mind from the memories replaying in my head and the painful words left my mouth as the three black cars pulled up in front of the house and came to a stop. The engines cut off and we all turned, watching in silent apprehension as the polished black doors of the matching cars were pushed open and men, dressed in expensive blacks suites tailor made for them, began filing out onto the sidewalk. My father stepped out first, his white-blond hair slicked back and gleaming in the pale afternoon sunlight. His lips were formed into a firm tight line, and I knew that if he took off those deeply tinted Armani glasses he wore, his ice-blue eyes would be cold and detached. He was obviously pissed off about something, and he wasn't my father right then. He was every inch Carlisle "The Sniper" Cullen, the blood lusting mafia marksman that would most likely kill any one of us if he was given the order.

He didn't spare the three of us even a sideways glance as he moved to the back of his Mercedes and pulled two large duffle bags from the trunk. He handed one of them to a tall guy I had never seen before, with deep scars and gashes covering the left side of his face. He shoved the bag almost forcefully into the man's arms, and they must have been damn heavy because the man stumbled back a little and scowled at him before adjusting the duffle in his arms. Carlisle turned then and handed the remaining bag to a pale looking, blond, long haired motherfucker I would recognize in an instant. The scowl that was already on my face deepened and my eyes narrowed as I noted the changes that had occurred in Jasper since the last time I had seen him over a year ago. He was a little taller now and more muscular, though he was still pretty damn lanky if you ask me. That air of danger that had always seemed to emanate from him seemed like a tangible force now as I watched him warily from the driveway. That could have come from the fact that I knew the fucker was strapped out the ass with firearms though. As he stood at the back of the car in silence, waiting for orders, there was nothing about him now that reminded me of the Jasper who was like a damn brother to me just a year and a half ago, and nothing that reminded me of the guy Alice had worshiped since childhood.

In his tailored black suite with his wavy blonde hair pulled back from his face, Jasper reminded me of the only other person I had really lost to this way of life. The person who vouched for him at his initiation, making him both a brother and a son. The person who had spilled blood for him and with him. The person who took my best friend under his wing and taught him how to be a real killer.

My father.

"I'm out of here." I growled suddenly, breaking the silence and continuing toward the Volvo. My mother didn't try to stop me that time, neither did my father though he shot me an annoyed look that I readily ignored because I didn't give a flying fuck if he wanted me to stay.

I slammed the door of the Volvo closed as I got in and turned on the ignition before peeling out of the driveway and down the street. I had no idea where I was even going, but I sure as hell didn't want to be in that house with those motherfuckers. Reaching for the radio, I turned it on to the FM stations and tuned the dial up so that volume of the music was so loud it kept me from thinking. I drove aimlessly for a good twenty minutes before the road beneath me turned suddenly to dirt and a sign that read _The Quileute Reservation: 1 mile_ caught my attention. Shrugging internally, I kept my pace as I continued down the dirt road under the canopy of deep green trees. The tree lined road stopped abruptly as the actual welcome sign to the reservation came into view, and I noticed for the first time a long stretch of beach to my left that looked almost as untouched as the day it was formed. The waves rolled gently onto the shore, darkening the sand to a deep buff color as it got wet from the salty water. I slowed the car for a brief second before pushing down on the gas pedal again and making my way toward the entrance of the reservation. I drove through the small territory, taking in the wooden houses and shops with their worn paint and simple structures. It was quiet, with no one really in sight, but I was struck by the fact that though the buildings seemed ignored and worn down, there was warmth to them that both mine and Alice's friend Bella's house lacked. Each one had an aura of pride about it, a dignity that all the paint and fancy furniture in the world couldn't fake.

I drove a little further and came upon an empty parking lot on the far side of the reservation that I assumed was for the beach, so I pulled in and maneuvered the Volvo into one of the spots. The music on the radio played softly for a few minutes as I stared unseeingly out at the ocean, and then I turned it off and grabbed my jacket off the passenger seat before making my way to the sand. I pulled out a cigarette as I sat down on the rather moist ground, lighting the tip and taking a deep inhale of the soothing smoke. The wind whipped at my face bitingly as I sat there, and after a while I began to notice the sun slowly inching its way toward the horizon. It was getting colder the longer I sat there, but I didn't give a shit if I had to stay there all night, there was no way I was going back to that house until those fuckers were gone. Sighing deeply with a scowl to the ocean, I brought my third cigarette to my lips inhaled deeply as I closed my eyes and exhaled

"Hey man….you can't smoke here." A deep voice penetrated my thoughts and my eyes snapped open to see a guy about my height with long black hair and deep brown skin looking down at me. He had his arms crossed over his chest, making the muscles of his arms bulge from the sleeves of his light brown t-shirt.

"Seriously dude," I groaned, not liking where this was going already. "Come the fuck on…"

"Sorry man…the beach belongs to the reservation, and the rule is no one smokes." He waited with an eyebrow raised as I tried to stare him down, not easy since I was fucking sitting looking up at him. After a minute I said fuck it and conceded.

"…Such an asshole." I murmured, taking one last drag and putting it out in the sand. "There, happy now?" He looked down at the cigarette protruding from the sand and smirked lightly as his dark brown eyes met mine.

"The trashcan is right over there."

"Fuck you." I growled, jumping to my feet with my body tensed. That caused the assholes smirk to fall and his eyes to turn guarded. He backed up a little and held up his hands in defense.

"Chill man, I'm joking…I can toss it myself if it's such a big damn deal to you." I glared at him for a moment before giving a small snort and sitting back down in the sand, resting my arms on my knees as I leaned forward and looked back at the endless ocean.

"Bad day huh?" The guy asked. "I've been there." I didn't say anything for a moment, but then turned to look at him as he took lowered himself down next to me in the sand.

"You have no fucking idea." I told him, watching as a seagull flew overhead and out of sight.

"Well tomorrow always has the potential to be better than today." He said with a laugh. "I'm Jacob by the way. Jacob Black, but you can call me Jake."

"Edward." I reached out and shook his outstretched hand. "So were you serious about that no smoking shit? Or were just fucking with me…because I'll be honest man, I could use another one right now."

"Actually that's true…but I won't tell anyone." I nodded and took out the last cigarette from my pack and lit it.

"So you're new to town." Jake told me with no uncertainty. "Where are you from?"

"What makes you think I'm new?" I asked, taking a drag from my cigarette.

"Man…" He laughed, "I've lived here all my life and you stick out like a sore thumb in that leather jacket and those torn jeans. Besides, I know pretty much everyone here and in town. I've never seen you before."

"Right." I mumbled, thinking about his sore thumb comment as I exhaled a cloud of smoke. "My family and I are from New York."

"That's pretty sick!" He announced with enthusiasm "So why the hell did you move here? Seem kind of strange. It can't be because of the nightlife."

"You always ask this many questions?" I asked him. He shrugged his big shoulders and smiled. "We didn't really have a choice. My….father…got sent here for work."

"Oh, work relocation huh? That kind of sucks…What's he do?" A light beeping went off in my pocket then and I reached in and grabbed my phone to see a new text message lighting the screen.

**Emmett: **_All Clear…_

"He's a doctor." I told Jake distractedly as I texted Emmett back and then put the phone back in my pocket. Taking another pull from my cigarette I reached down and picked up the one I had put out before. "Hey man I'm out, see you around alright?"

"Sure sure…see you round. Take it easy man…oh, and Welcome!" I snorted, and nodded as I got to my feet. I walked slowly to the trash and tossed the cigarette butts before getting in the Volvo and pulling out of the parking lot. The Jake guy turned out to be pretty cool, which I was grateful for. It would be nice to go back to the beach sometime, and I probably wouldn't have been able to if I kicked a locals ass. I made my way through town and It was dark by the time I got back to the house. I could tell from the outside that the lights were off so I was really fucking hoping that I could avoid seeing my father. My luck was not that fucking good though, as no sooner did I step inside the darkened foyer did the lights turn on and I came face to face with the icy stare of the sniper.

"I knew it." I scoffed, remembering my thought from that afternoon that his eyes would be cold and detached if he took off his damn sunglasses.

"Excuse me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, inside joke. What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you about you attitude this afternoon." I rolled my eyes at his attempt to sound even remotely parental and stalked past him to the staircase, making my way as fast as I could to my room.

"What?" I called back at him, "Did I hurt the murderers' feelings?"

"You cannot show disrespect like that Edward…especially not on purpose. What if Marcus had been with me? Are you even aware of the consequences…" He was right behind me as I reached my room and I turned to face him as I walked inside. My blood was boiling at the mention of fucking Marcus Alfano , the boss of the entire mafia family my father belonged to, and I could feel my control slipping by the damn second.

"Fuck you!" I hissed at him. "And screw your damn consequences, I've already had to deal with them or don't you remember? Fuck, you know…I wish Marcus was here. I would have put a bullet in him myself!" He was on me in a second and grabbed me by the throat while simultaneously thrusting me up hard against the wall, knocking the wind out of me for split second.

"Watch your fucking mouth." He growled in a low, menacing voice and I shivered at the inhuman glint in his depthless eyes as he glared at me. "There are eyes and ears everywhere, you understand me? Watch what you fucking say child or I swear you will rue the day that you were born. I promise you that."

I sucked in as deep a breath as his hold would allow.

"I already do." I hissed, trying to shove his hands away from me. He roughly let me go and took a step back as I tried with everything in me to keep myself from punching him in the goddamn face. "That is the last fucking time you are going to put your hands on me." I told him through clenched teeth and he just looked at me unflinchingly. "Now get the fuck out of my room…Carlisle." A flash of surprise crossed his face for a brief second, but he quickly masked it and took a step toward me with a look of utter disinterest.

" Guarda te stesso, Edward." He told me quietly."Parlo sul serio "

"Vaffanculo. " He shook his head but didn't say another word as he walked past me out of the room. I slammed the door behind him and turned the lock, feeling suddenly exhausted as I turned and walked toward the bed. He was an idiot if he thought he could scare me, I'd already experienced more terrifying things than him and survived. Pulling my t-shirt over my head, I dropped it to the floor and set my alarm clock before falling soundly onto the bed where I was asleep the moment hit my head hit the pillow...

* * *

_1998 – Warehouse outside New York City_

_"I said shut up!" I felt the hard fist make contact with my stomach again and I reeled back into the concrete wall. Tears were flowing freely down my cheeks, and couldn't help the loud sobs as the tore from my throat. I didn't want to be awake anymore, I wanted to go to sleep…I was so tired. Clutching Snowy tightly to my chest, I waited for another fist to make contact and help me to sleep. I couldn't yell anymore because of my crying, but it was enough to annoy the big man who was standing over me. I heard a soft click and then the man was right in front of me, so close I could feel the heat of his breath on my face as he placed something cold against my head._

_"On the count of three…You're either going to shut up or I am going to shut you up for good." His voice was calm and his eyes were devoid of any emotion as looked me straight in the eye. "One…two…three..."_

* * *

I jerked up in bed, gasping for air as I tried to calm my rapidly beating heart before it burst from my chest. Squeezing my eyes shut I scrubbed at my face harshly with my hands for a moment, trying to get the images of my nightmare from my mind before turning and pressing the off button on my alarm clock. My body was drenched in sweat, a light imprint noticeable on my sheets as I stood from my bed.

"Fuck." I groaned, trying to shake off the remnants of terror I was still feeling as I grabbed my towel off my computer desk chair. I should have been used to the damn nightmare, it occurred on an almost regular basis, but for some reason I still woke shaking and gasping as if I were still that little boy with a gun to his head. It wasn't a good way to start the day, and when I got into the shower and saw that there was no hot water for some reason, I had the feeling the whole day was going to be shitty.

I was right, and over the next few days my lab partner in Biology still didn't fucking show so I was stuck with all the damn work for the week. Plus, Alice was still not only freaking out about that Bella girl still being AWOL, but also about the fact that Emmett was getting in deeper with Rosalie Hale even though he knew it wouldn't work out. Truth be told, though I knew it would most likely hurt him in the end, I didn't fault Emmett for wanting to get with Rosalie. I mean, the chick was really fucking hot. In fact when he introduced us before school on Tuesday my first thought was that the girl was ready to strike a pose for playboy. So while I couldn't fault him for wanting to get with her, Alice and I both saw by the way he watched her and talked with her that he was getting too attached for his own good. It was as if she walked right out of his best fantasy and came to life, though if it were me she wouldn't be such a bitch.

Between Alice's drama, school, and everything else at home the only good thing that occurred was that I didn't actually see my father or any of his damn cronies at all; Including Jasper. They did most of their work at the house while we were out at school, and though I could hear them moving around sometimes in the middle of the night like fucking shadow demons, I was just glad not to have to deal with them. My father wasn't home for dinner that entire week either, and while it was obviously hard for mom when she had to clear his untouched plate, I can't say I missed his ass. I was in a rare good mood when I woke up on Friday morning. I hadn't had a nightmare since Tuesday, and it was the day that the Mafioso were slated to leave to go back to New York. I dressed quickly that morning, pretty ready for the day and even Alice's constant chatter wasn't as annoying as it usually was on the way to school.

"You're sure in good mood today." Emmett said I parked the Volvo in the school parking lot and we climbed out. "What's up?

"Why does something have to be up?" I asked as I reached for my bag. "Why can't I just be in a good fucking mood?"

"Oh I don't know...maybe because you're never in good mood?" I tossed Alice a dirty look over the hood of the car but she was squinting past me. I watched her in confusion for a moment when her face suddenly lit up and she pushed past Emmett so unexpectedly, and so forcefully that she actually managed to get him to move back a little.

"Bella!" She called, racing toward a solitary figure not far from us who had her head down and her long dark hair blocking her face.

"Ahh...the elusive Bella." I said with a smirk as realization dawned on me. I turned to Emmett, but he just shook his head with a laugh.

"I'm out dude...She's not elusive to me. I've met her already remember? Besides, I told Rosalie I'd walk her to first period today."

"Emmett." I warned, not needing to say anymore because he knew exactly what I was trying to express.

"Forget it Edward. Rosalie is the most amazing girl I have ever met. I'm going to be with her whether or not you, Alice, or dad approves."

"You've known her for less than a damn week!"

"Time doesn't matter." He told me."Besides it's not like we're getting married tomorrow or even next year. We're just getting to know each other. I like her Edward…a lot."

I sighed.

"Whatever dude." I said. "Just watch yourself okay?"

"Yeah. See you at lunch alright?" I nodded and he walked away toward the main building where Rosalie was waiting for him. Locking the car, I grabbed my backpack and walked quickly over to where Alice was talking to our neighbor. It was high time I met this Bella. I mean she had pretty much filled my school days since I got here because Alice was so obsessed with making the girl her new project. I slowed as I got closer to the girls, puzzled by the conversation as a soft voice reached my ears.

"…I sort of lost control of my truck." the gentle voice whispered as I inched closer."…it was nothing serious, don't worry I'm fine. The truck is all fixed up too."

"Don't worry?" Alice yelled, and I noticed the little brunette begin to tremble slightly. "I can't—"

"Alice" I called, trying in some weird way to rescue the shaking girl from Alice's wrath. I had been on the fucking receiving end of her tantrums before, and let me say that for such a little thing, Alice could really fuck you up. "What the hell are you freaking out about?" Alice looked over to me anxiously, and then wordlessly moved her eyes over to Bella and back to me again.

_What the hell?_

I was confused by Alice for the second time that morning, but I again understood quickly once I tore my gaze away from her and looked over to her friend. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of the pale girl who was looking at me with large, chocolate brown doe eyes almost too big for painfully thin, ghostly white face. Alice had definitely been right to be concerned about her. The girls' right eye was puffy and light blue, not too bad, but I was sure it was worse under the obvious layers of make-up she had on. She also had a badly busted, bruised lip that seemed to be beading with blood because she kept biting it nervously.

"Oh sorry!" Alice said suddenly, turning to Bella with the frown still on her face. "Bella this is my brother Edward, the one I was telling you about the other day. Edward this is our neighbor Bella."

"Nice to meet you." The girl murmured, her voice timid as she looked down to her shoes and shuffled her feet.

"Likewise." I told her with a feigned smile. I don't know what made me fucking pry, maybe because she seemed so fragile, but either way I sighed and asked her, "So you alright? Alice said you were a bit accident prone."

"I'm fine." She said gently, looking up at me in a dazed wonder."My truck….got uh…I lost control."

"Yeah." I chuckled darkly."You said that."

"Oh…right." The bell rang out across the parking lot then, causing the girl to jump in surprise. She quickly mumbled a goodbye and scurried off with her head down toward one of the smaller buildings of the school. Alice and I watched her go in silence for a moment, and then she turned to me with a worry in clear in her eyes.

"I don't believe her." Alice announced."Those bruises and cuts did not come from a car wreck. And her truck hasn't left the driveway since Monday afternoon. There is no way for it to have gotten fixed if it never left."

"I don't believe her either." I said as we began walking and made our way to class. "But I'm sure she has a good fucking reason for whatever it is she is doing. She doesn't seem like a liar Alice…did you see how red her face got? If she wants you to know what's going on, she'll tell you. Just let it the fuck go for now."

"But you saw her face!"

"Yes I did…but didn't you say she was accident prone? Maybe she's just embarrassed about how she got hurt and was making up something cooler." Alice looked at me incredulously for a moment before letting out a frustrated screech and storming off in the direction of her class. I rolled my eyes at her back and quickly made my way to first period English. I didn't believe for a second that Bella was making up a story to be cool. She seemed much too timid to even want to be popular. So there had to be another reason for her to lie about her injuries. As I continued to think, I also continued to ignore the nagging voice in my head that was asking me why I even cared about this girl I didn't even know.

_She's Alice's friend_ I told myself, _that's why._

_Yeah alright…you're a real pussy you know that?_

_Shut up._

_Could it be because she reminds you of a certain, scared little boy? Because she is obviously..._

_SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!_

I pushed my asshole thoughts down and assessed the situation all through first period, seriously considering taking my own advice to leave well enough alone. I had no business prying into the girls' life, especially since I'd be pissed as all hell if the roles were reversed. It was settled as I walked across the quad toward bio, I was going to leave it alone, leave her alone. I was feeling pretty damn good about the whole thing to as I walked across the campus, but my resolve was shot to hell as I walked into the biology lab and saw Bella, her head bent low over lab book, sitting alone at my lab table. I watched her for a moment as she scribbled something in the book, wondering why the hell I didn't put my lab partner and her being absent together before then. It was obvious, but it didn't matter though. Her being my partner was definitely going to make talking to her easier.

_I thought you were leaving her alone, m__y inner asshole said as I walked across the room._

_I really want to kick your ass._

"Well it's nice to know that at least one of us understands this shit." I said teasingly as I reached the table, and the pencil she had been writing with fell from her fingers. She bit at her busted lip nervously for a moment then hesitantly looked up to meet my curious gaze. She was speechless as watched me for a moment, probably wondering if I was stalking her or some shit, and then she quickly shook her head before half rising out of her seat and blurting out, "What are you doing here?"

A slight blush immediately began to cover her face as she realized she sounded slightly manic in her outburst, but I was actually stunned by the force her voice had taken on. She seemed so delicate and breakable that I couldn't imagine her voice being able to rise above the whisper it had been before. I cocked my head to the side and looked at her for a moment as she again stared down at her lab book, though this time in embarrassment. I set my folder down on the table and silently took my seat, staring ahead for a moment as I wondered what to do.

"I'm your lab partner." I told her suddenly with a dark, joking smirk. "Thanks for leaving me with all the fucking work by the way. I mean a guy comes here, new I might add, and is saddled with all the damn work? I thought small towns were known for their neighborly hospitality or some shit."

"I…I didn't…" The girl stuttered softly over her words, seeming absolutely mortified that I was apparently pissed over having to do the work. I sighed internally at her sudden return to meek mumbles and decided to just be as honest with her as possible since sarcastic humor was apparently not her strong suit.

"It was just a joke." I told at her, raising an eyebrow at the obvious discomfort written all over face. "Fucking relax, would you?"

"Sorry." She murmured, picking up the pencil she had dropped before beginning to write again. Her face was bright red as she stared down at the open pages, and I was about to tell to stop being so fucking embarrassed, but the rest of the students began to file in then so I didn't say another word as I opened my folder to a blank piece of notebook paper. I tapped my fingers absently on the pages, my eyes scanning the room before I stilled them and exhaled a light breath.

_Here goes nothing. _

_Why are you doing this again? Ohh right…you want to help Alice._

_Shut up asshole._

"So." I said, my voice curious but she still didn't look up from her assignment, "Why did you lie to my sister?"

* * *

**Guarda te stesso, Edward. Parlo sul serio**: Watch yourself, Edward. I'm serious.

**Vaffanculo:** Fuck off


	6. Meet Me At My Window

**- Chapter 5 -**

**Meet Me At My Window**

* * *

"So, why did you lie to my sister?"

My hand stilled at his words, pencil poised over my green lab book, and my breath caught in my chest. I didn't dare look up at him as I quickly scoured my brain for an answer that sounded even somewhat plausible, and I could feel his curious stare boring into the side of my head.

"I…umm…" My words were jumbled as I tried to speak. "I don't really know what you're talking about."

_Oh yeah, that'll work…way to go Bella_. I could feel my face getting even warmer and most likely more red with embarrassment at my own sarcasm. I knew I was a bad liar, I always had been. I was utterly incapable of looking someone in the eye and confidently telling them something that was not true. I couldn't even tell little white lies effectively. My head remained low and I could still feel Edwards penetrating gaze on me for another moment before he let out a little laugh and turned his attention away.

"Bullshit." He whispered as Mr. Banner entered the room and my eyes shot to his face where a cynical smirk was playing at his full lips.

_Full lips? Ok you are clearly going insane if you are even thinking about entertaining any ideas about you him._

"Excuse me?" I asked, suddenly annoyed with myself for letting this guy I'd just met and didn't even know get under my skin. I didn't need any distractions that would keep me from having my guard up at home. If I had my mind on Edward Cullen, his amazingly green eyes, and the fact that he lived next door there was a good chance I would slip up again and Charlie would have to punish me. I didn't need to give him any reason to repeat the last couple of days of starvation and dehydration. Once was enough for me.

"I said that is bullshit. I don't even know you and I can tell you're lying…it's written all over your face. So what's the deal?" My eyes narrowed slightly as I glared up at him and he raised a perfect eyebrow as a smile crookedly curved his lips again. My heart skipped a beat at the sight and my eyes narrowed even further.

"I didn't—" I began as sternly as I could manage, but was quickly cut off by Mr. Banner as he tried to quiet the class down and start the period. I groaned softly in annoyance to myself and turned in my stool to face the front, grimacing at the dark chuckle that sounded from the boy next to me.

"Alright guys quiet down." Mr. Banner was saying as I tried to focus in on the lesson, but I was acutely aware of the overwhelming presence beside me. "Jessica put the phone away…Lauren this is not a salon I don't want to see that nail polish again. Alright now I want everyone to turn to take out their lab books. We have been studying chemical bonds this week, so I want you and your partners to take this period and complete the two page work sheet that begins on page ninety-six. If there is time once you're all finished I will assign you and your partners a project on the subject that you will have until the end of the semester to complete. Does everyone understand what they're doing today?"

There was a collective nod from us and he turned to take a seat at his desk. I sighed dejectedly and turned my attention to the worksheet I had already been working before Edward came in. I kept my head down, my long brown hair forming a protective curtain around me, and tuned out the chatter of the other students. Edward didn't say a word for a while, letting me work in silence, though I could feel his gaze on me every now and then trying to see through the barrier I had put between us.

_What!_ I wanted to scream, _What do you want? Why can't you just leave me alone?_

"So are you going to answer my question?" He asked finally with a deep sigh, keeping his voice low.

"What question was that?" I countered evasively, not taking my eyes off the page of questions. I knew I was frustrating him, but I didn't understand why he wanted to know anything about me in the first place. He was gorgeous and probably had every girl in the school lusting after him that week. He shouldn't be slumming it with me.

"You know what fucking question." He told me, leaning in closer and dazzling my senses with the amazing fragrance of soap and cologne.

"No." I said quietly, taking a deep breath and savoring his scent. "I'm not."

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because…" I finally turned to him but kept my eyes away from his face, and my voice low so no one else would hear. Some of the other students in close range had already begun to turn and look at us. "Are you always this pushy?'

"Yes." Edward said in a teasing tone, but it quickly faded as he added, "My father claims it's one of my many faults." I looked up and stared at him for a moment, not knowing what to make of that comment, and saw that his eyes held a far off stare as if he were seeing something entirely different than the small classroom we were in. His gaze seemed pained as he stared off, and for a moment my breath caught at the haunted look in his emerald eyes.

"Your father?" I asked quietly, but he shook his head and said through gritted teeth that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Umm…" I mumbled, looking down at the table and feeling uncomfortable, "maybe…maybe we should get back to the assignment." I saw his eyes dart over to me from beneath my lashes and he just nodded sharply without saying another word. I stared thoughtfully at the side of his strained face for a moment then quickly turned away so that I could try and work on the assignment.

We sat in silence for another few awkward minutes and I could feel the tension radiating from Edward like a physical force as he worked over his lab. Shooting anxious glances at him, I kept myself acutely aware of his rigid form, knowing that he was upset and that it was most likely because of the fact that I wouldn't give him an answer to his question. Either that or because I asked about his father, I didn't know which. Either way I knew he was upset with me and it was making me nervous. After all, I didn't know what Edward was like when he was angry. But the way he was holding himself reminded me a lot of the way Charlie did when he was furious with me. It was like when he really let go a firestorm was going to emerge, leaving nothing but broken pieces and destruction. I knew it was probably wrong to compare Edward to Charlie and the things he did to me, but there was something about him in general that kept me from being at ease with him. I spent the rest of the hour shifting uncomfortably on my stool, and barely managed to get the first three questions of the lab done before Mr. Banner interrupted my dark thoughts and caused me to look up.

"The bell is about to ring guys." He announced as a loud chiming rang through the air confirming his statement. "I guess since none of you finished I'll have to give you the assignment next week. There's no homework except to finish the lab so have a nice weekend, be safe…and don't do drugs." He smiled and there was a light laughter from the students as they stood and began to file out the door. Again Edward didn't say a word as he packed his black folder into his backpack and stood from the desk. I watched in silence as he turned and followed the other kids out the door without so much as sparing me another glance, and while I should have been grateful that he seemed to be letting the whole thing go I had a feeling he wasn't that easy to appease. With an odd sense of foreboding, I rolled the puffy strap of my bag over the shoulder of my good arm and made my way to my next class, avoiding a little dark haired pixie when I saw her in the hall of the main building.

I didn't see Edward for the rest of the morning, something that both relieved me and filled me unease all at the same time. I didn't want to see him because he might start asking questions again, and I would only end up making him even madder at me by not answering. At the same time though, I couldn't get the look of hurt that had crossed face at the mention of his father out of my mind. Maybe Edward wasn't like Charlie, with his hot temper and painful mood swings. Maybe...maybe he was like me, hurt and too afraid to say anything.

_Yeah alright Bella…you're going delusional if you think you two are alike. The boy is gorgeous and doesn't have mark on him. Besides…does he seem like the type to let someone rough him up? _I sighed at my rationale, knowing my inner self had a point. Edward exuded a confident strength and there was no way he would let someone hurt him and get away with it. Not like me…who was so afraid of something worse that… I pushed my black thoughts away and continued on, trying to focus my attention on school and the work I needed to make up from my days of being absent.

When the lunch bell finally rang a few hours later I followed the small mob of students across the wet, cement quad and found myself unconsciously looking for a head of tousled bronze hair as I walked across the school. It was ridiculous that I would willingly search Edward out when I knew he was just going to ask questions that I didn't have the answers to. It was only going to lead to trouble, so I stopped myself immediately when I realized what I doing, telling myself to stop being such as an idiot about a guy I didn't even know - a guy that clearly had the potential to get deep under my skin. I kept my head down after that and watched my feet as I made my way to the cafeteria, figuring that was the safest bet. I was wrong about that, because as soon as I entered the double doors I was met with something warm and rather hard that caused me to stumble back, broken arm first, into the cold metal of the doors.

"Ow!" I cried, grabbing my arm and squeezing my eyes shut against the sudden shot of pain. A white hot burn was running the length of my arm and I tried to focus on taking deep breaths so that my mind wouldn't focus on the stinging discomfort.

"Why don't you watch where the hell you're going! Look at my sweater!" My eyes shot open to see the snarling faces of Lauren Mallory and Jessica Stanley standing less than a foot away from me, their pale blue eyes glaring daggers. They were dressed in matching camel colored V-neck sweaters, but Lauren's now sported a bright red stain down the middle from the half empty cup of punch in her hand. Both girls were also in identical dark wash jeans and towered over me in their four inch leather boots, causing them to like blonde haired angels set on avenging a horrible wrong.

"God look at her…she's like…pale as a ghost!" Jessica cried loudly as she crossed her arms, and several students ahead of them in line turned to look at what was going on.

"Who the hell are you anyway?" Lauren seethed, but I didn't even try to answer because my throat had gone suddenly dry and I just stared wide eyed at her furious face. A sudden recognition lit Laurens pale eyes as she stared at me and a wicked smirk formed on her full lips. "Oooohhhh right…. you're chief Swan's daughter aren't you?"

"Swan? More like the ugly duckling!" Both girls laughed at Jessica's witticism, and I just stared in horror as others who had heard the remark began to laugh as well. My breathing came harder until I was practically panting and the room began to spin. Everything began to look as if I were seeing it through a funhouse mirror, distorted and out of focus as if it weren't really there. I probably could have easily gotten away through the doors at my back, but my feet stayed rooted in place and I couldn't even force them from their spot as willed them to move.

"Hey what's going on here?" A familiar, girlish voice suddenly called out I turned my head to see Alice coming towards our small group with an infuriated look on her face. She stopped when she reached us and placed her small body in front of me protectively, glaring openly at the two girls looming over her.

"Oh hi…Alice right?" Lauren said sweetly, but it was clear the smile on her face was as fake as her blond hair. I couldn't begin to fathom a reason as to why Lauren would even pretend to be nice to Alice, but I didn't dwell on it long as Alice didn't seem to be buying it anyway. "You should tell your friend here to watch where she's going...she totally just ruined my new Burberry sweater."

"Oh." Alice replied, looking shocked as if Lauren had just told her something vital to her existence. "Well Laura…it is Laura right? I think she did you a favor actually. After all now people won't notice that fact that it's a total knock off, and a really bad one at that." Lauren's eyes suddenly lost their false pleasantness and narrowed as she took in Alice's words.

"Excuse me?" She asked through her teeth, "I'll have you know that this sweater is one hundred percent real. My parents got this for me when they were in London last month…and it's Lauren by the way."

"Well then your parents not only got ripped off, but they are also complete idiots because it's clear that the sweater is not Merino Wool…which is what the sweater was made out of when it was shown at New York fashion week...last season."

It was silent for a moment, and both Lauren and Jessica looked at a loss for words.

"You obviously don't know what you're talking about." Jessica piped up suddenly. "Why don't you and your little freak of a friend just go back where you came from…loser."

"Oh that hurt…how ever do you come up with those witty remarks?" Alice took my good arm then gently and began pulling me through the doors. "Come on Bella…let's get out of here." We had barely turned before Lauren's hand shot out and grabbed Alice's shoulder, stopping us from making our quick getaway out the cafeteria.

"I know you're new and you don't know how things work around here." She whispered darkly, "but no one talks to me that way, got it? I'd watch it if I were you….I can make life at this school hell for you if I want to."

"Lasciar andare il mio braccio…adesso cagna." Alice growled, as if speaking another language was just an innate reaction. She jerked her arm away from Laurens grip as if her touch burned, then turned her blazing gaze to Lauren then and said in a voice so calm that it sent chills up my spine. "If I ever see either of you two puttana's bullying Bella again…I swear I will make you wish you had never met me. I will make you wish that you were dead…understand me?" Lauren and Jessica didn't say a word but their suddenly wide, worried eyes conveyed their hesitance over Alice's threat. I didn't blame them, Alice was defending me and I was just as terrified of her. We didn't wait around for the girls to respond or acknowledge the threat. Alice just pulled me along with her as she exited the cafeteria and made her way across the quad.

"Alice..." I was still a little shaken up but said quietly after a moment, "Alice…stop, we're fine now." She stopped so suddenly that I almost ran into her like I did Lauren, but stopped myself just in time.

"Are you alright?" She asked, staring up at me with sad eyes that still held a little left over menace from her threat to Lauren and Jessica.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you Alice….for…for sticking up for me."

"You're welcome...god I can't stand people like them. They think they're so entitled, they don't even realize that they're nothing in the in the grand scheme of things…no one is going to give a crap who they were in high school. Hey Bella…can I ask you a question?"

"Umm...sure?" I bit my lip nervously and walked beside her down deserted hall in silence.

"How often does stuff like that happen?"

"Not often." I said quickly, too quickly, and she shot a disbelieving glance at me. I suppose I could have feigned ignorance, but there didn't seem to be a point, and I owed her anyway. "Really…most of the time people ignore me all together. They don't really go out of their way to mess with me. I just sort of got in the way today I guess….can I ask you a question Alice?"

"Of course you can." I took a deep breath and turned to face her, trying quickly to find the voice I needed to ask my question.

"Why….why do you care? Ever since you got to Forks High you've been at my side nonstop….you don't really know me, so why do you care if people like Lauren and Jessica gang up on me every once in a while?"

She answered without hesitation.

"Because you're a nice girl Bella…I can tell, and that's why I care. You don't deserve to get harassed by the likes of them or anyone. So since I'm your friend, I'm going to stand up for you whenever crap like that happens." She smiled cheerfully and her emerald eyes lost the last traces of their dark intimidation. I smiled softly back at her, both touched and shocked by her statement all at once. The bell signaling the end of lunch rang out then, and Alice gave me a quick hug before telling me goodbye and heading to her first afternoon class.

The rest of the day went by quickly after the incident at lunch, and though both Lauren and Jessica threw me deadly glares over their shoulders all throughout Algebra, I couldn't help but feel a little giddy at the thought of having a real friend…it was nice to have someone who cared, even if she did barely know me. Once the final bell of the day rang out I walked as quickly I could through the drizzling rain to where I had parked the behemoth truck. As I made my way across the student lot I noticed that the silver Volvo from that morning was gone, and that Alice and Emmett were currently walking out of the main building of the school with Rosalie. I immediately noticed that Edward wasn't with them, and I watched anxiously as the three of them walked across the wet parking lot toward Rosalie's cherry red BMW and climbed inside. I couldn't possibly upset him so much that he left school early could I? Was he that angry about me prying about his father?

The idea that I had upset Edward had me on edge all the way home. I didn't want him to be angry with me, in fact that was pretty much the last thing I wanted. His sister was my….friend, yes. But it was more than that too. I didn't know what it was exactly about Edward, but whenever I thought about him my mother's words seemed to ghost through my mind as if she were literally inside my head.

_You're special Bella, and someday a boy will come along who is just as special as you are….you'll just know. _

There was no denying the fact that my mother had obviously been living in some fairytale. There was nothing special about me. I was average on my best day, and those were few and far between. There was no way a guy like Edward- strong, confident, handsome- would even spare someone like me a second thought. I sighed as I turned onto the street where Charlie's house was, observing as I got closer that the Volvo was nowhere in sight. Instead I saw a non-descript black car with darkly tinted windows and polished chrome rims parked in the driveway of Edward and Alice's house. My brow furrowed in curiosity as I continued down the street but I pushed it aside and bit at my lower lip nervously, wondering if I should try to talk to Edward on Monday and apologize for upsetting him. I began thinking up something that I could say to him that wouldn't make me sound completely pathetic, but as I pulled up to the house my heart stopped cold as I noticed the black and white cruiser parked half way up the gravel driveway, hidden partially by the overgrown hedge that hadn't been cut in over a year.

_What is he doing here?_ I thought, suddenly unnerved. Charlie was never home this early on a week day, especially on a Friday when he had the most work. He reveled in being the chief of police, of having the small bit of power that came along with the title. People loved him because they thought that he was enthusiastic about keeping the town free of crime and serving justice, but really he just loved the fact that he had supremacy over the people of the town, that he was the one with authority. No, if Charlie was home early from the one thing that gave him pleasure there was a reason and it most likely wasn't a good one - at least for me. I tried to stay calm as I pulled up to the curb in front of the house, turning off the engine and just sitting there in the cab unable to move. I couldn't stay out there in the safety of the truck forever though, as Charlie had most likely heard me pull up and would wonder what was taking me so long. I took one more dark look at the sad little house, took a deep breath and then grabbed my bag and climbed out into the cold afternoon. I walked cautiously up the frozen walkway that led to the front door, making sure I didn't slip, and entered the house to the sound of Charlie talking quietly on the phone in the kitchen.

"Yes…alright, I get it. I'll be there in twenty minutes." He sounded sort of anxious as he spoke, something I had never really heard before in his voice. "Look I said I'll fucking be…yes, no I'm sorry I didn't mean…alright, see you then." I stood silently in the archway, watching in confusion as he hung up the phone and set it on the small wooden dining table. I waited for him to acknowledge me, to tell me what he wanted me to make for dinner so I could get to work on the food and then begin on the mountain of homework I had for the weekend, but he just sat there for a moment with a strange look on his face. A look of both excitement and apprehension that made him look somewhat crazy in the eyes.

"Um...Charlie…" I said softly, not able to gage his mood. I didn't want to anger him more if he was already angry because of that phone call. "What….what would you like for dinner tonight?" He didn't respond for a few moments, and I was beginning to think he hadn't heard me when he suddenly looked up and met my startled gaze.

"Nothing, Isabella. I have an important meeting so I won't be here for the crap you call food."

"Oh…alight." I said, and then for the first time took in the fact that while he was still dressed in his police uniform, he was clean shaven and freshly showered. "You…um…look nice. When will you be back?" Charlie tilted his head and gazed at me for a long moment, then stood deliberately from his chair. I instinctively took a step back as he came slowly toward me, and gasped lightly in surprise when my back met the hard wall of the kitchen. Charlie stopped when he was just a few inches away from me and reached out a hand to tightly grip my chin.

"Now…" He murmured with a littler smirk, "I don't think that's any of your business now, do you?" He squeezed my chin a little tighter when I didn't answer right away.

"No sir…I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"Shut up Isabella." He released my chin and walked back to the table to pick up the keys to the cruiser. "Clean this place up while I'm gone, it's a shit hole. And put something on that damn face of yours. I can barely stand to look at you." With that he strode past me out of the kitchen, but I waited until I heard the front door close securely behind him and the cruiser pull out of the drive before I allowed my stiff body to relax. I let out a breath and leaned my head against the wall for a long minute, staring unseeingly at cracked ceiling before pushing away with a sigh.

_First things first_, I told myself as I made my way up the stairs to my room. I dropped my bag just inside the door and then walked to the bathroom where I searched for something, anything, to help heal my eye and lip. There were no crèmes or anything so I decided on a treatment I had read about a while back on the internet. First I put an aloe on my cut lip, then grabbing a small blue hand- towel out of the pantry beside the tub, I rolled it up and ran it under the warm water of the sink. After making sure it wasn't too hot I placed it over my injured eye and made my way downstairs to make a list of what needed to be cleaned around the house. Charlie was right about one thing, the house was in dire need of a good cleaning since I had been unable to do the small things over the last couple of days.

I made a quick mental checklist and once the warm towel went cold, I set it aside with the other things to be washed and grabbed the broom from the pantry. It took me longer than usual to clean the kitchen with only one arm, and the vacuum nearly overpowered me while I was trying to clean the large rug in front of the sofa but I somehow managed to get the house back to the shape it was before my punishment.

"Alright…" I whispered to myself as I surveyed the living room from the bottom step, "It all looks…okay…Charlie should be good with this." I turned then and walked up the stairs to my bedroom so that I could begin the assignments I had missed over the last three days. It was warm in the house with the heater on, and combined with the sweater I was wearing and the hours of cleaning I had put in I was beginning to feel beads of sweat begin to trail down the back of my neck. Pulling the sweater off when I reached my room, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and made my way over to the small window on the far wall. It wouldn't allow much air in I knew, but the little it did allow would feel amazing on my flushed, heated skin. Using my good arm I pushed the wooden frame up and stuck my head out as I closed my eyes, taking in a deep breath of the crisp night air.

"Enjoying the night air?" My eyes shot open at the familiar deep voice and I turned my head slowly to Edward Cullen sitting with one leg propped up on the railing of the little balcony directly across from mine. His hair was even more tousled than it had been that morning as if he had been raking his hands through it all day, and the little mountain of cigarette butts sitting on the iron rail contributed to his restless air. He was smirking at me through the thin veil of cigarette smoke, and for a moment I could literally think of nothing to say. It was as if one look at him caused my brain to go completely blank for some reason.

"Wh…what are you doing here?" I suddenly blurted out, much like I had that morning in Biology. My eyes were wide and my face was burning hot as I took in the fact that I was going to have to talk to him before I was actually ready - there was no way around it.

"I live here…remember?" He asked, looking at me as if I were an idiot.

"That's…your room?"

"Yes…is...that a problem?" He raised an eyebrow at me as he took a drag from his cigarette, putting the tiny butt out next to all the others. He exhaled a small cloud of nicotine infused smoke and crossed his arms as he watched me visibly struggle for something to say.

"No, no it's not…a problem…"I assured him, my cheeks growing hotter. "I just assumed it was your parents room or something. You know, because of the piano. I saw your…your mom move it in so I just assumed…"

"The piano?" He asked, his face going a little pale as the words.

"Yeah, I heard someone playing the other day. I thought it was your mom but…it must have been you." He glanced up at the sky and ran a hand through his hair. I almost smiled at the gesture, but caught myself as he looked back over to me with a look of frustration written on his face.

"I'm sorry." I told him quickly, not wanting him to think I had been listening in on him. "I mean...I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. My window was open and…yeah, I'm sorry."

"You don't have to fucking apologize Bella, I know you couldn't help hearing it. So how shitty was it? I mean I hadn't really played in a while so I know it wasn't good." I stared at him in silence for a moment because I couldn't believe he didn't know how completely amazing his playing was - how obviously talented he was.

"I thought it was beautiful." His eyes, which up until then had been on an old pine tree in his backyard, shot back to me as he gave a little laugh. He didn't actually say anything, and as he reached for another cigarette from the pack on his lap I decided to that it was perhaps as good a time as any to apologize for upsetting him earlier.

"Um...Edward?" I began, hoping that I wouldn't somehow mess it all up and end up making him even more upset with me.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Again?" He laughed incredulously. "What for this time?"

"For upsetting you this morning in Biology, I didn't mean to pry about your father."

"You asked a fucking question, that isn't exactly a criminal offense you know. And anyway I wasn't upset with you at all."

"You weren't?"

"No, and actually I was meaning to apologize to you. I know I was being an ass by pushing you this morning. We don't even know each other, and well…I'm fucking sorry too…you know, if I upset you."

"You're sorry?" I eyed him in amazement as I took in everything that he was saying. I couldn't believe he was actually apologizing to me.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." I breathed, causing him to chuckle softly under his breath though his eyes seemed to burn with curiosity as he looked at me.

"Fuck…alright well, how about we start over huh?" He put his cigarette out and reached his hand out over the small distance between our two balconies. "Hey, I'm Edward Cullen."

"Umm…Bella." I said as I reached out my good arm and took his hand, shaking it gently. The minute our skin met it was like an electric jolt shot through me, setting my veins on fire and causing my eyes to snap down at where our hands were touching in midair. I took my hand back quickly and held it against me as if I had been burned, but it was strange because it wasn't an altogether bad sensation – just different.

"I …uh…have to go…inside." I mumbled out, unable to look at him. I began to turn back into my room when Edward's voice caught my attention.

"Goodnight, Bella Swan." I stopped and looked over my shoulder to see him smirking crookedly at me. My breath caught in my chest at the site and it took a moment before I was able to respond.

"Goodnight." I told him softly, then shut the window and drew the thin blue curtain across the glass.

* * *

**Translations:**

**Lasciar andare il mio braccio…adesso cagna**: Let go of my arm...now bitch.

**Puttana's**: Whores

* * *

**Authors Note:** Alright guys I am really sorry it's been so long. Just been busy with classes and finals...plus this chapter was really hard to write for some reason. Anyway summer break is here so chapters should come more frequently now...so YAY! Who do you think Charlie was talking to? Where do you think he was going? Would ya'll like outtakes? Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, I know it's been a while but was it interesting to you or did it feel random? It was harder than I thought to stick to the character traits this chapter...I kept wanting to make Bella spunkier but she can't be yet, and I feel like I ended up making her more broken that I wanted. But anyway, please review and let me know what you thought! OHH Also, chapter is titled after the JACK'S MANNEQUIN song "Meet Me At My Window" Check out the playlist on my profile. :)

Love ya!

Mallory

*****UPDATE****:** Alright I totally forgot to add the translations of what Alice said to Lauren and Jessica so there you go, sorry guys! ALSO, I have had some people say they might not stick with the story because they can't stand Bella not telling someone and fighting back. All I can say is please just stick with the story if you love it, it might be a while but she will fight back and she will get stronger. Her and Edward just met, and Charlie has her so brainwashed...so yeah, just stick with it if you love it. :)


	7. Meet Me At My Window Pt 2

**-Chapter 6-**

Meet Me At My Window (Pt. 2)

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"Dude I don't care if you have to fucking eat her out while she's driving, will she do it or not?" I listened with growing impatience as Emmett sighed dramatically in my ear and told me to hold on while he leaned over and asked Rosalie Hale if she would pick me up after school let out. I hated to call and ask Emmett's girl for a ride like a pussy, but mom was at a business meeting in Seattle for the day and I didn't even want to know what the fuck my father was doing. For all I knew he probably wasn't even in town, and I wouldn't have called him for help even if he was. No way in hell was I subjecting myself to that conversation, especially when I knew he wouldn't come anyway. It was barley noon and he would be pissed as all hell that I left school early when there wasn't an emergency or something.

It was ironic that a fucking high ranking member of the mafia would prize education so much, but he did. He said that a good education was what made a man who he was because it was what allowed him to make his decisions intelligently. I called bullshit on that because if it were true then my father wouldn't have made half the decisions he made in his life. I mean the man managed to get through medical school while he was still just a piciotto, so he wasn't a fucking idiot like the rest of them. He had other means but he still managed to tangle his life, and the rest of ours, up with all the evil the world had to offer.

_What the fuck ever._ I thought darkly. _I'm so done thinking about this._

I was. I was so damn over that whole situation so I just decided to focus on the current minor crisis that I had to deal with. Fucking Volvo….I loved the thing like it was my baby, but I was beginning to understand why some species disposed of their young. The thing couldn't even make it all the way to Port Angeles without breaking down, and that low gurgling sound it was making right before it died really didn't sound good at all. I had just had it checked out before the move too, so fuck if I knew what was wrong with the thing. I'd have to have it towed to a shop or something, which more than likely was going to cost a pretty penny.

_Not like my father can't afford it, _I thought with a twisted grimace as I rubbed at my tired eyes.

"Hey man." Emmett's deep voice suddenly sounded in my ear a moment later, pulling me from my thoughts. "Yeah she'll do it¸ but you've gotta divvy up."

"How much does she want?"

"A hundred and fifty."

"That's fucking extortion!" I growled, running a hand through my hair and gazing up through the canopy of deep, evergreen pines that glistened with moisture from the air. I growled softly in annoyance and conceded to the payment since I didn't have any fucking choice. "Fine, I'll pay the bitch. Tell her to hurry up though because it's fucking cold."

"Dude don't call her a bitch, that's not cool. And we'll be there as soon as school gets out so just stay in the car and…I don't know, read a book or something."

"Yeah whatever dude, you're really funny."

"See you soon bro." I hung up the little black phone and stuck it in the shallow pocket of my leather jacket before sighing deeply and getting back inside the semi-warm confines of the Volvo. The seats were still warm from the internal heater so I made myself comfortable before pulling my phone out again and dialing the local operator for a nearby tow company. It took long enough to for the young sounding woman to find a number to give me, and when I finally did manage to get a fucking tow company on the phone they told me it was going to take another three hours for them to get out to the car.

"What do you mean it's going to take fucking three hours! Aren't you just in Port Angeles, that's only like twenty minutes away!"

"Yes sir, but it's very slippery on the roads today. We also have about three other cars to tow before yours and they are in the opposite direction of the location you gave to us."

"God, does no one know how to fucking drive here?" I mumbled to myself as I leaned my head back onto the headrest of the seat. "Fine, I guess I have no other choice do I…"

"So you do want us to send the tow truck?"

"What did I just say?" I asked with frustration into the little phone.

" Alright, do you have an alternate number you would like us to contact in case we can't reach you at this line?" I thought about it for a brief moment and gave the guy Emmett's cell phone number.

Let that fucker deal with the small town incompetence.

"Alright three o'clock is your scheduled pick-up time then. Thank you for your patience sir." The last bit was said with only slightly concealed sarcasm before the line went dead, and I growled in annoyance before tossing the phone onto the passenger seat. I closed my eyes and rubbed them gently with my thumb and index finger as I let out a deep sigh. The weird conversation with Alice's friend Bella had left me tense and thinking about my father, the last person I wanted to fucking think about when I was actually in a good mood. Just the thought of the fucker was like a cold shower on a hard dick, he could bring you down in less than a damn second.

_And yet here you are…still dwelling on it like a damn pussy. _I groaned and immediately reached for the mp3 in my pocket, in the hopes that it would drown out the asshole in my head. I switched it on and changed it to the rock station before turning the volume up as loud as it would go, closing my eyes and letting the pounding of the drums and pull of the guitar strings numb the thoughts of my mind….

_The soft click of the gun was like a loud crack in the silent room, and as I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter I could feel my thighs get wet as I lost control of my bladder again and wet myself. I brought Snowy tighter to my chest and waited for the man to be angry again, but it was silent until another quiet sob escaped me and loud snarl ripped through the air._

"_I said shut the fuck up." The man whispered menacingly. I slowly opened my eyes and glanced up to see him still just inches away, and I tensed instinctively as he raised the gun in his hand and brought the butt of it down hard on the back side of my head. I let out a shrill scream as white hot pain shot through me and stars erupted behind my eyes. Right before everything went black, the man leaned in close enough for me to smell the stench of his breath._

"_Next time there will be a fucking bullet in the gun." He told me, "Got that, Eddie boy? You're lucky we need you alive Edward….Edward…Edward!"_

My eyes shot open and my hands reached out for nothing but air as I inhaled deep, labored breathes. For a second I didn't remember where I was, and I had the fucked up sense that I was still in that dark room getting the shit kicked out of me. It was a loud thump that brought me back to reality, and I jumped in surprise before looking over and seeing Alice staring at me apprehensively with her little fist balled up on the glass of the window.

She watched me for a moment, searching my eyes through the fogging glass, before sighing deeply and stepping back. I looked away for a moment and ran a shaky hand through my hair, taking a deep breath as I reached across the seat for my backpack. Alice took another small step back from the Volvo as I opened the door and stepped out into the harsh, biting wind. I could feel her eyes on me, watching as I turned back and locked the car. She didn't say a word about the nightmare she knew she saved me from, she already knew I wouldn't want to talk about it. Over the years, since our rooms were right next to each other in our New York brownstone, she had often been the one to wake me from a nightmare when she heard my cries through the wall. Like now, she never said a word or asked me what the nightmares were about. She already knew. Instead we would just sit together, sharing headphones and listening to music from my I-pod until we fell back asleep.

"Where is the hell is that tow truck?" I asked her as I lit a cigarette, trying to seem like I was totally fine and not dwelling on fucking shit I shouldn't be. She shook her head and sighed before her demeanor suddenly changed and she shot me a small smile.

"They called Emmett a few minutes ago, they're on their way." I nodded, thankful she was playing along. We reached Rosalie's red convertible and I took a long drag from my cigarette as I reached over and tried to open the door to the back seat. There was suddenly a soft clicking noise and the door to the cherry red car wouldn't budge.

"What the hell!"

"You didn't think you'd be getting into my car with that thing did you?" I looked over to see Rosalie leaning across Emmett's lap with a wicked smile on her face and her blond curls falling over her shoulder.

"Let me in the car." I growled in a low, menacing voice. Who did this bitch think she was?

"Not until you put that disgusting thing out, I have no desire to breathe in that death stick."

"Emmett," I said slowly, glancing at him and seeing the smirk on his face. "You really need to put a leash on your cat."

" Screw you!" Rosalie spat, her violet eyes narrowing and growing dark. " I don't want that shit in my car got it? So either put it out or I will leave your ass here to freeze." Emmett and Alice watched me closely and after a moment I took one last drag off the cigarette and dropped it to the icy ground before snuffing it out with my boot.

"There, happy now? Let me in the damn car before I get frost bite or some shit." She sighed dramatically and unlocked the door, looking over her shoulder as I opened the door and got into the warm interior of the ostentatious BMW.

"You could say thank you, you know? I came all the way out here to the middle of nowhere and I'm probably going to be late to my hair appointment."

"Seriously?" I scoffed, raising an eyebrow at her. "You're not doing me a favor Hale, I'm fucking paying you remember?"

"Speaking of, where is my money?" I looked down at her manicured hand as she held it out expectantly, holding back a laugh at her words because she had no idea how prominent that phrase was in mine and my siblings world. I doubt she would even be with Emmett if and when she found out what it was my father did at night. What he did while she was sleeping in her cozy bed, all the blood he spilled while she was blissfully unaware of the darkness that was quickly overtaking her small, narrow world of Forks. I shook my head to get the black thoughts from my mind and gave her a sarcastic smirk.

"You'll have it tomorrow, don't get your panties in a twist." She scowled and opened her perfectly glossed mouth to say something but Emmett intervened before she could say a word.

"Hey come on…why don't you try and pretend like you can be civil to each other huh?" Alice let out a soft, humorless laugh at his futile attempt at peace but otherwise didn't say a word. Rosalie shot him a withering look and took the opportunity to drown us all out by turning the radio up until I thought my damn ears would bleed. I gritted my teeth against the blaring music, quickly relieving my ears by getting out once the damn tow truck appeared about ten minutes later and pulled off the road in front of the Volvo. There wasn't much to take care of once the guy showed up so I filled out the sheets of paperwork, answered the guys' inane questions about the model, and watched morosely as my precious car was lifted onto the back of the tow truck like a pile of scrap metal.

"Here you are." The guy handed a pink slip of paper, scratching behind his ear with a grease blackened hand. "We'll contact you once we figure out what's wrong with the car."

"When will that be?"

"Well, considering that we had to pick up three cars before yours…and we already have two being worked on…I would guess a week or two at the earliest."

"Two fucking weeks!" I shuddered at the thought of being without my car for so long. "Fuck, what are you guys the only damn auto garage in town or something?"

"One of them." He grunted, ripping another piece of paper from his pad and handing it to me. "Have a nice day, we'll be in touch." I crammed the paper into my pocket and scoffed as I turned on my heel, walking swiftly across the icy ground back to Rosalie's car.

"Are we done now?" She whined as I opened the door and slid into the back seat. I slammed the door shut and nodded, gritting my teeth when she turned the radio on again and peeled out onto the slicked road. The forty minute drive back to Forks took half the time it should have because Rosalie drove like a fucking bat out of hell. Even I wasn't as bad as her with the whole speeding shit. Before I knew it we flew past the towns' dilapidated wooden welcome sign and were making a wide turn onto our street.

"Alright, everyone out." She called when she pulled up to the front of the house and came to an abrupt halt behind my mother's Mercedes CLS-Coupe. "Except you." She grabbed the collar of Emmett's black polo shirt and pulled him to her for a quick, hard kiss.

"See you tomorrow baby." Emmett told her, pushing a stray blond curl behind her ear before pulling away and grabbing his bag. He smirked at the somewhat dazed look on her face, clearly pleased that he had such an effect on the blond Amazonian. I rolled my eyes at their exchange and got out of the car with Alice, leaning my head back in through the open window.

"Yeah," I said with a tilt of me head, "and maybe you'll learn how to drive like a normal person by then." The bemused look left her face instantly and her eyes narrowed as I stepped back to let Emmett out of the car.

"You're alive aren't you?" Rosalie asked sarcastically, "So stop being a pussy."

"Oh, blow me Hale."

"Not in this lifetime asshole." With one last sickly sweet smile at Emmett, she reversed the car and sped away down the street, turning left toward the center of town where she had her oh-so-important hair appointment. I sighed and looked up toward the slowly darkening sky. In the distance, heavy clouds colored pink and purple by the setting sun drifted lazily toward Forks and I could see there would be storm soon if they didn't change course.

"Dude…Edward…" Emmett's gruff voice sounded after a moment and I turned my head to see him looking at the empty spot where Rosalie's tail lights had just been. "Stop being such a dick to Rose. It's not appreciated alright?"

"Seriously?" I asked incredulously, "Dude do you hear how much shit she gives me? You can't seriously think that I'm just going to sit back and take the shit do you?"

"I'm just saying to back off a little. You don't know her or what she might be dealing with."

"And you do?" I yelled, seeing his eyes grow darker. "I mean fuck Emmett, didn't Alice and I tell you to stay away from her in the first place! Nothing good is going to come out of you getting involved with her."

"You're my brother Edward…you can't tell me who I can or can't love."

"Love!" I laughed sarcastically and took a step closer to him. "You don't even know what love is Emmett. Even if you did it would never last. Not in our world."

"Love is a strong word to use Emmett." Alice spoke softly, looking at us cautiously as we stood no more than an inch apart. "Especially for a girl you just met less than three weeks ago."

"You guys just don't get it do you?" Emmett whispered with a shake of his head. "Whatever, you don't have to. I don't want your input on my relationship with Rosalie alright? I don't need it. Just know that I care about her and she cares about me. Leave it alone, if something happens it's my problem not yours and I'll deal with it."

"Em…we just don't want you or Rosalie to get hurt." Alice put a small hand on his forearm in a reassuring gesture. "You know how it is in with the family."

"He knows how it is Alice...but he doesn't care if he puts us in danger, or mom, or Rosalie for that matter."

"There won't be any danger..."

"Oh give me a fucking break Emmett." I hissed. "If they ever find out that you brought an outsider in….someone will have to vouch for her, you know that right? You think our father will do that…huh? I don't think so, considering he most likely wouldn't even vouch for one of us he'd probably kill her himself. That leaves you, and they will try to force your hand to initiate you. They are ruthless killers who will do anything Emmett, and if they can't get you…do not think for a damn second that Marcus wouldn't hesitate to have you killed, and Rosalie along with you." We stood there in silence for a long moment, the three of us, as the impact of what our reality was slithered across our minds like a snake poised to strike. Emmett knew I was fucking right, that he couldn't get involved with someone who didn't understand the constant danger and uncertainty we lived with. To drive home my point I stood straighter so that we were nearly eye to eye and kept my voice low as I told him, "Even if none of what I just said happens Emmett, you think Rosalie would really stick around with a guy who will only end up getting her killed? The girl has got too much self preservation for that. She's gone the minute she finds out the truth."

"She wouldn't do that." He murmured, "She loves me….you'll see." I shook my head in disgust and gave a humorless laugh before pushing past him without another word. I wrenched open the front door and stalked inside, coming to an abrupt halt when my mother appeared in the archway to the kitchen and called my name.

"Edward." She smiled and walked over to where I was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "How was school today honey?"

"It was fucking school." She frowned slightly and sighed softly before speaking again.

"I really wish you wouldn't curse so much, it's not a good habit to get into."

"Yeah well…I'll work on it."

"You do that." She said with a small smile, not really that annoyed with me. "I just wanted to tell you that your father and some of his associates are going to be joining us for dinner tonight, so please be good and wear something other than a t-shirt and torn jeans alright?"

"Sorry I can't make it." I told her as I started up the stairs without missing a beat. "Not hungry."

"Edward, please…" She didn't follow me up the stairs, but I could feel her honey colored eyes on my back as I made my way up the polished wooden stairs without looking back.

"I said I'm not hungry….eat without me." When I finally reached my room I tossed my backpack to the floor with a muffled thump and walked immediately to where my piano sat quietly near the open window. I sat down on the narrow bench and placed my fingers lightly on the keys before pressing down with the slightest pressure. The sound registered throughout the room and I slowly began to increase the tempo until the melody literally felt as if it were the air I was breathing. The notes filled my head and coursed through my body, leaking out through my fingertips where they became the words I couldn't speak. I don't know how long I played, letting my inner demons out but after a while the melodies began to slow and outside the window the sky had grown completely dark when I finally played one last note.

"I need a damn cigarette." I said to the silent room, and ran a tired hand through my hair. Patting my jacket to make sure the box of Royals and my lighter were in the pocket, I stealthily stepped up and through the window that led out to the small balcony connected to my room. It was freezing outside, but the frigid air felt good against my skin and was helping to clear my head a little from the confrontation this afternoon with Emmett. I sat down on a black iron chair I had placed in the corner of the balcony and pulled the box of cigarettes from my pocket. As I pulled one out and lit the lit the tip, I heard a car come to a stop in front of the house and then the doors opened and closed in near perfect unison.

_Fucking soulless robots,_ I thought as I took a drag of nicotine, _Must be time to feed the wolves._ I finished the cigarette and put it out on the rail next to the other butts before grabbing another from my pocket and turning my head up to look at the sky that was still heavy with storm clouds. I was halfway through the second cigarette when the scrapping of wood caught my attention and I lowered my eyes just in time to see Isabella Swan stick her head out the window directly across from me and take a deep breath. Her large brown eyes were closed in contentment and a small smile played lightly on her full lips as she breathed in the night air. She hadn't noticed me right away, and though I didn't want to fucking bother her, I couldn't help it as I propped my leg up on the railing and leaned forward a little, smirking a little at the little sigh that escaped her.

"Enjoying the night air?" I asked, and her eyes shot open as she turned her head slowly in my direction. Her already large brown eyes widened even more as they came to rest on me. Her gaze traveled over my face and to the small pile of cigarette butts that had grown over the last couple of days. When Bella finally made eye contact with me she just blinked and didn't say a word. Finally, when I was about to say something, anything to break the tense silence, she shook her head a little as if to clear it.

"Wh…what are you doing here?" She stuttered, and her face flushed a pretty, light shade of pink as she shifted her gaze from me then back again.

"I live here…remember?"

"That's…your room?" She looked utterly terrified at the thought, and for some reason the thought of her being scared of me pissed me off. What, did she think I was going to attack her or some shit?

"Yes…is...that a problem?" I asked her, taking one last pull from my cigarette before putting it out on the balcony rail. I crossed my arms over my chest as I leaned back in my chair and exhaled a small cloud of smoke. She looked taken aback for a moment and I could tell she was trying to find the right words to my question.

"No." She said after a moment. "No it's not…a problem . I just assumed it was your parent's room or something. You know, because of the piano. I saw your…your mom move it in so I just assumed…"

"The Piano?" I repeated, and I paled at the thought of this girl, this stranger, hearing something so intimate. No one was supposed to hear me play except for my family, and even then I wasn't suppose to know they were listening. I wasn't dumb I knew the sound carried, but they never mentioned it to me because they knew that was how I dealt with fucked up things.

"Yeah, I heard someone playing the other day." Bella said, sounding a bit confused. "I thought it was your mom but…it must have been you." I tilted my head up to the sky and ran a hand through my hair in aggravation. I would have to remember to keep my window closed when I played.

"I'm sorry." Bell suddenly blurted out, and out of the corner of my eye I could see her face grow steadily more red. "I mean...I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. My window was open and…yeah, I'm sorry."\

I sighed, but didn't turn my head from the sky.

"You don't have to fucking apologize Bella, I know you couldn't help hearing it. So how shitty was it? I mean I hadn't really played in a while so I know it wasn't good." I could feel her eyes on me, watching me, but again she didn't say a word. I waited for her to tell me it was alright, that she'd heard better. Or that it was good, but practice would be even better. I waited for her to say anything really, because for some damn reason her opinion mattered to me. When she finally spoke her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

"I thought it was beautiful." My gaze shot to her face the second her words registered in my brain. Her bruised slightly swollen face held a look of complete disbelief. It was as if she were astounded I could any different. I gave a small laugh at her bemused expression as I reached for a cigarette and lit the tip. Taking a deep inhale of the nicotine infused smoke, I closed my eyes and sighed in pleasure at the slight, warming burn in my throat.

"Um...Edward?" Bella murmured quietly after a moment, and I opened my eyes to look at her. Her puzzled expression from before had given way to worry, and I was cautious when I answered a response.

"Yeah?" I asked warily.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Again.." I laughed, "What for this time?"

"For upsetting you this morning in Biology, I didn't mean to pry about your father." I sighed before taking another pull off the cigarette in my hand. I really didn't want to talk about this shit, especially when the fucker was just downstairs. I had some shit to apologize for too though if I being honest with myself. I didn't have to push Bella the way I did, even though I knew her story about a car crash was bullshit.

"You asked a fucking question." I told her. "That isn't exactly a criminal offense you know. And anyway I wasn't upset with you at all."

"You weren't?" She asked.

"No, and actually I was meaning to apologize to you. I know I was being an ass by pushing you this morning. We don't even know each other, and well…I'm fucking sorry too…you know, if I upset you." I cleared my throat, which had become uncomfortably dry all of a sudden. I was never one to apologize, I usually didn't give a flying fuck what people thought of my actions. But I didn't want to hurt the already fragile looking girl who was staring at me with the biggest, deepest eyes I had ever seen.

"You're sorry?" She whispered in amazement.

"Yeah?" I said, making it sound more like a question than verification.

"Thank you." She said in breathless tone, and I laughed softly at her strange reaction. There was something about the way she looked at me, the amazement in her earthy eyes, that had me more intrigued than anything else. It was as if my words were a lifeline that she was trying to hold on to.

_Yeah Eddie boy…because you're so damn special._

_Screw you._

"Fuck…" I sighed, shaking my thoughts from my head and running a hand through my hair."Alright well, how about we start over huh?" I put the last of my cigarette out and reached my hand out over the small distance between our two balconies. "Hey, I'm Edward Cullen." She looked at me as if I were crazy for a moment, and then slowly reached out a thin, slightly shaky hand.

"Umm…Bella." She said gently, taking my hand. A sort of electric fire started where our skin touched, and it was as if every vein in my body was shocked to life by an electric jolt. I was an incredible sensation that ended when Bella quickly jerked her hand back. I looked up to see Bella clutching her hand to her chest as if she'd been burned, though the look in her eyes as she gazed at the spot where I hands were just touching was more of awe instead of pain or fear. There was nothing I wanted in that moment than to reach out and grab her hand again. To fell whatever the hell it was we had both just felt.

"I …uh…have to go…inside." She mumbled out abruptly, staring at railing and unable to look at me. As she began to turn back toward her room I called out and she stopped mid movement.

"Goodnight, Bella Swan." I whispered softly, a playful smirk on my lips as she looked over her shoulder at me. She stared blankly at my lips for a moment before letting out a shaky breath.

"Goodnight." She told me softly, then stepped inside and shut her window before drawing her thin blue curtain across the glass. Her softened silhouette was outlined for a brief moment against the drape before she moved away further into her room.

"Isabella Swan." I whispered as the first drops of rain began to fall, hitting the railing of the balcony with a soft thud. I stood from the chair and looked up to the angry black sky, allowing the sharp icy drops to assault me before turning back to Bella's window.

"See you tomorrow." I murmured, then turned and stepped inside the window out of the coming storm.

* * *

**UPDATE: Sorry, was making minor corrections and wasn't really paying attention and deleted it instead of replaced it. Sorry, there is really nothing different.  
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**Authors Note:** SOOOO...I am really sorry this took months to get to you. No excuses, just wasn't able to get it done. I was sort of struggling with this chapter for a while too, so I really hope you like how it turned out. Please leave reviews and let me know what you think, if it's progressing to slow...too fast...anything. I love feedback. Also please check out the "How To Be" Blog the link is on my profile. Also, you can **FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER...Link is on my profile** as well. I know it says Rochelle...that's the name I go by in real life. Mallory Jackson is my pen name thing/ alter ego? Anyway thanks so much guys!


	8. I've Just Seen A Face

**-Chapter 7-**

I've Just Seen A Face

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"_I want you." He whispered._

_His lips pressed gently against the burning, sensitive skin of my neck and I moaned softly as a pulse of pleasure seared its way down my body. Gone was the broken arm and painful bruises I had sustained from Charlie, the man who called himself my father. There was nothing but the feel of this hard body as it pressed against me and the feel of heated breath as soft lips tingled my bare flesh. Our mouths met with electricity and moved together as we spoke without words, our bodies moving to our own rhythm as the black sky outside the window stormed down to Earth._

"_I want you." I breathed, my eyes rolling back slightly as his strong hands, which were large enough to span the whole of my lower back, grabbed my waist and pulled me somehow even closer to him. He moved his long, tapered fingers sensuously up my spine and I allowed my head to drop back for a moment of ecstasy as he kissed his way down my torso with slow, torturous kisses that made me whimper with my desire for him._

"_Edward." I groaned, sighing a little as I felt him smirk against my tightened stomach. __It felt like I could shoot up into the night sky and every pore of my body would shoot light. "__Edward…"_

_My eyes shot open and I quickly sat up in bed with my heart pounding so hard I could swear it would beat straight through my chest. I took in a deep, shaky breath and blinked a few times before shaking my head lightly in order to clear away the last remains of sleep._

_ It was just a dream__. _I thought, my gaze scanning the room for any signs that what I had just experienced was real and not some figment of my adolescent female mind. My skin felt flushed and heated, just as it had when Edward had been touching me, and there was a strange though not altogether unpleasant feeling in the pit of stomach. Sighing with frustration, I fell back onto the one flat pillow on the bed and stared unseeingly at the low, wooden ceiling.

_Edward Cullen?_ My brow furrowed with concentration as I tried to come up with some reason I would be dreaming about the new boy next door. He had been really nice to me since we met, that was true. Then again so had Alice and I didn't see myself having sexy dreams about her. Then there was also that strange conversation we had on the balcony last night, where he actually apologized to me…_me_! No one had ever said sorry to me, or even cared enough to notice that I might have been upset. A small smile curved my lips for a moment before a sudden thought occurred to me and caused a wave of dread to wash over me.

_Could that have all been part of the dream as well_? I was almost distraught at the thought of it. I wanted it all to be real, and I wanted him to have felt that strange explosive reaction that happened when we shook hands and our skin touched. I wasn't stupid, I knew deep down that Edward could never feel for me the things I was starting to feel for him. Who was I to him anyway, his sisters charity case? No, he would never be with a girl like me, but god I wanted…I wanted so bad.

I bit my lower lip as I thought again about the intense feeling that occurred when our hands touched. It was like being hit with a burning magnetic force. It was intense but it wasn't painful…just jolting, like being forced awake from a deep sleep. As I lay there in my twin bed wondering if somehow Edward had felt what I had, knowing he hadn't, heavy footsteps made their way down the hall and stopped outside my door.

"Isabella!" Charlie bellowed, and my head turned toward the door just as he pushed it open. He was dressed in his police chief uniform, the blue button down open to expose his pristine white t-shirt I had washed with the last load of laundry. "Why the hell are you just laying there like a damn cow? Get your lazy ass out of bed and go make breakfast."

"I'm sorry," I told him, quickly tossing the blanket off me with my good arm and jumping out of the bed. "I'm coming."

"If I get another call from your principle telling me you were late again, I'll give you something to be sorry about. Now hurry your ass up." I nodded, and he turned out of the doorway before continuing down the hall without another word. The sound of the wooden stairs stressing under his weight a moment later allowed me to let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I closed my eyes in relief for a moment before stepping lightly over to my window. Staying slightly within the relative darkness of my room, I teased back the thin curtain with my index finger and looked over at the adjoining balcony. It was empty, the only signs of life that were visible in the pale morning light were the small mound of cigarette butts that were piled on the railing. Nothing was visible through Edward's window either due to a thick black drape that obscured everything behind the window.

_Oh great Bella, now you're a peeping tom? _I groaned in frustration and allowed the curtain to fall back in front of the glass before stepping away. Charlie was already downstairs waiting for his food so I hurried as best I could to get ready for school and kept it as simple as possible with a grey tank-top, worn blue hoodie and jeans that were about a size too big for me. I kept the bathroom routine quick as well, brushing my teeth and dabbing on only enough make-up to cover my bruised eye and sunken cheek bones before pulling my hair forward into my face to add more cover. The end result left a lot to be desired, and I gazed dejectedly at my reflection for a moment before deciding that there was nothing else to be done and that it was as good as it was ever going to get.

I made my downstairs and Charlie looked up from his paper as I walked into the small kitchen a moment later. His dark eyes took in my grungy appearance for a moment before he scoffed in disgust and turned his attention back to the Sports section. I walked past him to the fridge and saw that it was pretty empty with only two eggs and leftover spaghetti from the other night. Even the milk carton was empty though it still sat on the shelf as if it were of any use.

_Well, looks like dry cereal for me today…_

"I need to go grocery shopping today after school." I mumbled, pulling out the two eggs from the carton and a frying pan from the cabinet above the stove. "We're out of milk and eggs…and pretty much everything else."

"Why the hell are we out of food?" He asked, and I could hear him set the paper down on the table, "Isn't your responsibility to do the grocery shopping before we starve to death Isabella?" My hands, which were poised over the frying pan ready to crack the eggs, froze as my whole body tensed in reaction.

"Yes, sir…I just…umm…I was being…punished. I couldn't get to the store to get everything. I'm sorry." I didn't move or say another word, and I could feel his cold eyes on my back as if it were literally pinning me to the tiled counter.

"Fine." He said after a long, purposeful silence. "I'll leave a fifty when I leave for the station. Get some beer too, but don't get any of that damn Rainier light shit." I released a sigh of relief and nodded, thanking him as I cracked the eggs into the sizzling pan. When they were done I added what was left of the butter on top and sprinkled a little pepper before walking over and setting it on the table in front of Charlie.

"Isabella?" Charlie asked curiously as I set his plate down on the table. He grabbed my wrist lightly and the sudden contact caused me to jump slightly in surprise. With a nervous feeling in my stomach I turned my head to look down at him and saw that he was staring off into the hall with a distant look on his face.

"Umm…yes?" I asked apprehensively, not liking the feel of his hand gripping my wrist even if there was barely any pressure.

"Who was in your room last night?" His voice was unusually soft and I shook my head in confusion as I tried backing away- his hand tightened around my wrist and kept me where I was.

"No one." I told him quickly. "I swear."

"Don't lie to me Isabella." His grip on my wrist tightened until I let out a small whimper. "I heard you talking to someone last night when I came home. I didn't hear what you two were talking about, but that voice sounded like a boy. Now I'll ask you again, who were you whoring around with in that damn room?" Panicked, my mind raced to figure out what he was talking about, why he would think there was someone in my room. I had never even had some over to the living room to do homework, let alone up to my bedroom for anything else. My mind thought frantically and then my face paled and my heart dropped when I realized what he was talking about – Edward. He must have heard Edward and I talking last night on the balcony. He had it all wrong though, all wrong!

"No, I promise there wasn't-"

"I don't like being lied to damn it! Especially by a goddamn whore like you." He stood from his chair and, still holding tight to my wrist, pushed me back until I was pinned against the kitchen counter. My good arm was held immobile above my head by his grip, and I stared up at his angry face though blurry eyes.

"There was no one in my room…" I managed to get out but a sudden, stinging pain sent my head reeling to the right. I kept my eyes on the wooden floor for a long moment as I steadied my rapid breathing and pounding heart, then slowly turned my head back toward Charlie. The fire-like tingle on my cheek from the hard slap made my eyes water as I gazed at him through a veil of hair and I knew it was going to leave a slight mark for a day or two. I could already feel it beginning to swell.

"I heard you Isabella." He growled. "I heard you talking to him."

"The new boy next door is my lab partner." I croaked out. "…he was asking…about the homework. I swear that's all it was. He wasn't even in my room, just on his balcony." His eyes widened in surprise at my words, and a flash of something I couldn't comprehend shown in his dark gaze for a brief moment before it was gone and replaced by its usual malice.

"I don't believe you…boys only want one thing, and you're just stupid enough to fucking give it to him." I shook my head fervently as I tried to find the words I needed to explain. As I worked my brain to come up with something Charlie would believe, since he didn't believe the truth, he reached out and grabbed my chin between his fingers, squeezing hard enough so that it felt like he was bruising the bone.

"If I ever find out you have someone here that I don't know about again, especially a goddamn guy, I will make sure you can never do it again. Understand Isabella?"

"Yes." I answered breathlessly, nodding my head. He let go of my wrist with force so that I was shoved back a little against the counter and hit the tail of my spine against the rounded corner. I didn't move as I watched him walk back to the table and grab his jacket from the back of the chair. He pulled on the heavy black coat and buttoned it up to the neck before stuffing his hands into the pocket of his pants and pulling out a fifty dollar bill.

"Don't forget the groceries." He said stoically as he brushed past me and tossed the crumpled bill at my feet. I stayed utterly frozen until I heard Charlie pull open the front door and slam it shut behind him. When I finally heard the crunch of gravel as the police cruiser pulled out of the driveway a moment later, I bent down and picked up the bill with a shaky hand. I stuck the wrinkled paper in the back pocket of my oversized jeans as I walked over to the table and picked up the small plate of food Charlie hadn't even touched. Since I had suddenly lost my appetite and couldn't even stomach the thought of eating anymore, I tossed the now cold, rubbery looking eggs into the trash and methodically washed the crusted frying pan before setting it in the dish drainer.

_You're alright…a slap is nothing, remember that._

I tried to remain calm and kept my mind as blank and emotionless as possible. It wasn't as if I wasn't used to Charlie's threats and outbursts after all, I lived with them almost every day. There was something in his eyes though, that flash of something I couldn't quite place, that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and cause chills to run down my spine. There was something that I was missing, and that was a dangerous thing when it came to my father - A very dangerous thing.

My body mechanically took me through the motions for the next few minutes as I walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to put concealer over the redness that was blossoming on my face. When I was finally satisfied that it was as covered as it was going to get, I grabbed my backpack from my room before heading back down and stepping out the out the front door into the frigid morning air. As I walked down the frozen walkway toward the beat-up old truck; a loud banging sound from nearby had me whipping my head around toward the noise. I noticed a blonde man, or boy I should say since he didn't appear to be any older than eighteen, in a perfectly tailored black suite exit the house next door and walk briskly toward the street with Alice and Emmett following behind him. He had dark sunglasses on, which I thought was strange since the pale morning light really wasn't hard on the eyes, and his long hair was slicked down and pulled back into a ponytail. There was an air of authority about him as he stalked toward a black Mercedes that was parked across the street, and I wondered briefly if maybe he was an older brother or something, since even from where I stood on the porch I could tell that the guy was very good looking- something he apparently had in common with the Cullen's. Even Emmett the barbarian, if you were able to overlook his massive size I guess, was a good looking guy with dark wavy hair and light eyes. _If_ you were able to get past his huge, intimidating frame.

Alice stared lovingly at the back of the blonde guys head with a knowing smile on her face as she followed him down the walkway, Emmett talking quietly on the phone with someone behind her. As I watched them, the blond suddenly turned his head in my direction and frowned slightly before gently tilting his head in acknowledgement. My brow furrowed at the odd greeting for a moment but my attention was diverted when another noise sounded and I looked over to see Edward coming out of the house with pensive look on his face. My mind was immediately assaulted with memories of the way his strong hands felt as they held be in my dreams, the way his lips felt against my bare flesh and the way my body responded when we touched in real life. I could feel my face growing red and my body flushing as I thought about the way I wanted him in my dreams, I practically begged him to keep touching me.

A cold gust of wind suddenly brought me out of my thoughts and my gaze traveled back to Edward, where I saw that he was looking at me with a small smirk on his face as he walked toward the pristine Mercedes. My eyes widened and my face went red again as I realized he had caught me staring at him, and I hurriedly turned away and made my way down the driveway to the safety of my truck. Once inside, I turned the radio on so the cab of the truck was filled with the soft melodies of classical music and waited for the black Mercedes to pull out so I could go. Instead, a moment later the blond waved for me to pull out in front of him, so I carefully backed out - wary about maybe hitting the expensive looking vehicle with my mammoth piece of tin.

As I drove across town to the high school, keeping my eyes averted from the police station as I passed, I had the strange feeling of being watched as I pulled off the interstate and drove toward the student parking lot. It was a sudden, eerie sensation that set shivers down my body and caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. My eyes anxiously scanned the passing forest, but I didn't find the eyes that I could feel on me.

_Well Bella…_I thought as I pulled into the school…_there is a car right behind you…following you to school...with four people in the car…three of which you know. _I sighed and silently chastised myself for being so on edge, realizing I must have still been a little tight strung from my encounter with Charlie at breakfast. Shaking my head to clear the nerves, I drove through the parking lot with Mercedes right behind me until I pulled into a spot near the back of the school.

"Bella!" Alice called as she jumped out of the car a few minutes later and came to stand behind me as I grabbed my backpack from the truck. "Hey, how are you holding up?" Her voice was soft but the tone held an edge of menace and burning curiosity. I froze with my hand on my bag, a cold fear washing over me at her question. Why would Alice ask that? Why wouldn't I be 'holding up'? She couldn't possibly have heard what happened this morning could she?

_Why are you so afraid! _ My mind screamed at me. _Tell her! Tell her now and get help!_

I shook my head as if in answer.

_I only have one more year…just one more year and I can leave. I can get through this without anyone! _With my back still to her, I took a deep breath and then slowly turned around as I pulled my bag from the seat and gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine." I told her, making a great effort not to look down at my feet. "Why do ask?"

She gave me an odd look before shrugging her tiny, lace-clad shoulders.

"Well, it's just after yesterday…you know, with Lauren and Jessica…I just wanted to make sure you were alright. That you didn't let those bitches get to you."

"Oh." I let out a breath and internally sighed with relief. "No, I'm alright…really."

"Are you sure?" She sounded skeptical and eyed me warily for a long minute. "They were pretty nasty."

"I'm sure." I told her as I shut the door to the truck and locked it up. "Thanks Alice…and you were pretty nasty too if I recall."

"Hell yes! This kitten has claws honey, and she knows how to use them." She gave a trilling laugh as she linked an arm through mine and steered me toward the main building of the school.

"Wait, what about Edward…and Emmett? Shouldn't we wait?" Alice glanced up at me before looking over her shoulder at the black car she had come to school in.

"Well I'm sure Emmett's probably with Ms. Queen of everything already, and Edward will be on his way in a minute…we don't need to wait around for them to get their butts in gear."

"Umm…alright then." As we continued across the parking lot with the small crowd of students, I cast a quick glance back over my shoulder and looked at where the black vehicle was parked, seemingly dwarfed next to the giant that was my truck. As I tried to see Edward through the somewhat tinted windows, a pair of piercing blue eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, watching me as stared back into their icy depths. I felt the blood drain from my face and I turned my gaze away hurriedly as I leaned in a little toward Alice who was running hand through her short ebony hair.

"Hey Alice…" I murmured quietly, "Who is-" The school's warning bell suddenly rang out through the parking lot, effectively cutting me off and causing both Alice and I to jump a little in shock.

"Jesus!" Alice cried with a roll of her eyes. "They really need to give the warning bell its own damn warning bell…Come on, or we really will be late!" She grabbed my hand and then rushed ahead of me once we reached the path that lead to building C, calling out cheerfully for me to have a good day. I waved goodbye to her with a forced smile, pausing suddenly before walking up the steps into the main building. From where I stood I still had a clear view of the parking lot, and I hesitated a second before slowly turning around and looking as innocently as I could in the direction of the Mercedes. My eyes widened when I saw that the parking stall the car had occupied next to mine only moments before was empty now, with no sign of it having ever been there at all. Edward was also nowhere in sight, and my eyes shifted back and forth cautiously across the lot of cars for a second before I turned and made my way up the steps to first period. The feeling of piercing eyes following me didn't ease until the metal door to the main building shut closed behind me.

The morning went by rather quickly in a mess of French that, much to the exasperation of Mr. Varney, I still couldn't seem to fully understand. I managed to get through the period without any major mispronunciations though, and after I made my way to biology where I would be forced to sit next to Edward and try my best to act completely normal…when in reality all I was actually capable of doing around him was turning bright red with embarrassment.

_Either that or stumbling over my words so bad I sound like a complete, rambling idiot._

I was the first one to class, so I sat quietly at the large desk and pretended to work on a lab as I waited anxiously for Edward to appear through the door of the room with his copper hair tousled and full lips curved into a smirk. As the minutes passed I grew more and more restless as students began to arrive and take their seats, and my eyes darted to the doorway constantly until Mr. Banner walked in and closed the door behind him with a click. My heart felt oddly heavy as I realized Edward wasn't coming, and I allowed the full weight of my disappointment to wash over me for just a moment before I sucked in a deep breath, turning my attention to Mr. Banner and what he was saying about _Chemical Bonds_.

_I will not think about Edward Cullen_. I chanted to myself as I scribbled down notes from the board. _I will pay attention because if I don't pass this class Charlie will be really angry, that is very bad so…I will not think of Edward Cullen._

_You do know that this pretty much constitutes thinking about him right? _I rolled my eyes at my own traitorous thoughts.

_Oh, shush!_

I continued silently chanting my new mantra through the rest of my morning classes, trying my best to concentrate on something other than the way Edward's voice sounded when he said my name, or how he smelled of a bizarrely intoxicating mix fresh soap and cigarettes. It must have worked at least a little because before I knew it I found myself standing in line at the cafeteria waiting to pick up a lunch tray. I kept it simple with a turkey sub, it wasn't until I was next in line to pay that I realized the only money I had on me was the fifty dollar bill Charlie said was for groceries.

_I can't use that!_ I thought with equal parts alarm and disappointment. I was hungry after having skipped breakfast, but Charlie was sure to check the store receipts and see that the whole bill wasn't used. I stared down at the tempting looking sandwich in my hand but deliberated for only a moment before deciding it wasn't worth it. I could wait until dinner… I wouldn't die of starvation before then. The cashier called out next and I sighed softly as I walked up with the turkey sub in my hand.

"That'll be four twenty-five."

"I'm sorry." I said, reaching the food out to her. "I don't have —"

"Here, let me take care of that." My whole body froze at the sound of the deep tenor that seemed to come from directly behind me and I watched out of the corner of my eye as a large hand held out a five dollar bill before I could even begin to protest. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, working up any sort of nerve, before turning and looking straight into Edward's curious emerald eyes.

"Umm…" I stuttered as I stepped out of line. "Thank you…you didn't have to do that though."

"It was nothing." He told me with a smile and I felt my heart skip a beat, then make up for it by pounding double so that I thought it would go flying through my chest. I smiled shyly and nodded as he pulled a hand through his mess of hair as he glanced across the cafeteria and then back at me. "So Bella…since I bought your lunch, would you do me a huge fucking favor?"

_Boys only want one thing! _Charlie's words from before rang through my head and I flinched slightly. Y_ou're just stupid enough to fucking give it to him. _

"Uh…" ignoring my thoughts and letting out a shaky breath, "Sure?"

"Keep me company for lunch?" He asked.

"You…want to me to eat lunch with you?" His eyes danced mischievously as he tilted his head and nodded.

"Yeah."

"Ok?" He grinned and I then followed him across the crowded cafeteria to an empty table in the far corner, not bothering to ask why he wouldn't rather sit with Alice and Emmett since I didn't even see them as we made our way to our seats. We sat down in the plastic blue chairs and Edward pulled out a brown paper bag from his backpack as I opened the sandwich he bought me and took a large bite. I chewed slowly and laughed internally at Edward's hungry looking face when he opened his lunch and took out a large slice of pizza. It looked weird and not like any pizza I had ever seen, but Edward's mouth was practically drooling as he brought the food to his mouth.

"So Bella." He asked once he swallowed his food and turned his burning gaze to me. "What the hell do you do for fun around here huh? I mean no offense or anything, but the town seems seriously lacking in entertainment."

"Fun?" I thought about his question for a moment but realized there was really nothing I could tell him about what people our age did to keep themselves occupied. I wasn't exactly at the top of peoples' party lists, and there was really no one in the school I hung out with. "Well…I mean I guess a lot of the kids go up to Port Angeles or Seattle if they're up for the drive. First Beach is pretty popular too when the sun is out."

"I've been to First Beach." He said with a nod. "It's nice. But what about you, what do you do? I don't take you to be one of those girls who parties it up in Seattle on the weekends."

"No." I told him with a smile. "Definitely not. I read…a lot I guess…and listen to music. I also like hiking in the woods behind the house."

"Really? You hike in the woods by yourself? Isn't that shit dangerous?"

I laughed at his incredulous expression and shrugged lightly as I took another bite of food. "Well there is this really beautiful meadow that mother used to take me to when I was little, I –" The blood drained from my face and my body tensed up as I realized that I had just spoken about my mother. I hadn't spoken about my mother in years, and unless Charlie was screaming about her it was almost as if she had never even existed. Since Charlie disposed of everything having to do with her all I had left to remind me of the way she looked was an old photo I saved from the fireplace and kept hidden in the bottom draw of my dresser.

"Bella…are you alright?" Edward's lyrical voice brought me out of my head and I looked up to see him leaning toward me with an anxious expression on his face.

"Yeah, fine" I assured him with a wavering smile. "I'm fine." His eyes scrutinized me for a long minute before he shook his head and let out a scoff as e leaned back in his chair.

"If you say so." He said, arching a perfect eyebrow.

"I am, really. I was just…thinking of something."

"You have a lot of things you don't tell people don't you?" He asked, his voice quiet. "A lot of secrets that you keep." The bell signaling the end of the lunch period sounded then, but I stayed seated for another moment, pinned to my chair by his words and my own yearning to just tell him the truth. In the end, as it had with Alice that morning, my reason won out over my irrational desires. It would only complicate things in the end for them anyway. I bit at my lip as I pushed back my chair and took a step toward Edward where he still sat watching me intently.

"Edward…" I said softly, not looking into his eyes. "In an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

I didn't give him any time to respond and quickly turned to follow the thinning crowd out of the cafeteria. He didn't follow after me, and I didn't see him for the rest of the afternoon even in the halls of the school. My mind spun with the gravity that little conversation would have because while I didn't give into my desire to tell Edward the darkest secrets I kept, I all but confirmed that I did indeed have something to hide. I was so caught up in my musings that I nearly forgot to stop at the grocery store after school and pick up the food needed to restock the kitchen.

The store was unusually crowded for a weekday afternoon, and with only one cashier on call, when I finally returned to the house it was nearly dark and I had to unload the groceries into the kitchen one bag at a time because of my still injured arm. French and history homework beckoned me like a siren as I cooked the battered fish fillets I was making Charlie for dinner, and the stovetop clock read six-thirty when I finally put the food in the fridge and carried my plate of fillets up to my room with my backpack. I had the weekend to get caught up with all my work and I planned on using it. Dropping the bag to my bed I switched my light on and set my plate on my desk before reaching for my history book on the shelf. I was just about to open the colossal text when a noise sounded from outside my window. It was faint, and I thought about brushing it off until another louder noise occurred. Memories of sharp blue eyes watching me in a rearview mirror suddenly assaulted my mind and I got up slowly from my desk before walking cautiously across the room toward the window. I jumped when the low noise sounded again, and when I reached the window I took a deep breath and pulled back the curtain letting out a sigh of relief when I saw Edward sitting on his balcony with a small mound of cigarette butts in his hand.

"Edward…" I breathed softly as I pushed open the window. "What are you doing?"

"I saw your light come on." He told me, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to talk to you about lunch this afternoon."

"Look I really can't talk…I have homework and—"

"What did you mean…when you quoted Orwell?" He asked, "I mean I know what he meant, but what did you mean by it?"

"You read Orwell?" I said with surprise.

"I'm not the complete fucking idiot people think I am. Will you please just answer me with a straight damn answer?" I winced at his harsh tone before biting my lip and breathing out a soft sigh.

"I meant that everyone has secrets Edward, some bigger than others. You can't expect complete honesty or openness from anyone because you'll only be disappointed if you do."

"Yeah..." He said softly, wiping his hands over his face in an exhausted effort. I watched him as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall of the house, but we both jumped in surprise when the door to his room swung open and a blond man, older than the one from that morning, walked in and crossed the room toward the window. He was dressed in a similar suit as the younger blond, perfectly tailored and expensive looking, with the same slicked hair as well. I glanced just a brief look of irritation cross his chiseled features as came toward us before it was immediately replaced with friendly curiosity.

"Edward!" He said in a deep, cheerful voice when he reached the window. "I was just coming into get you for dinner. Who's you're friend?"

"I didn't know you were home." Edward said sharply, his blazing gaze causing my brow to furrow in confusion. "Dad this is Isabella Swan our neighbor and my lab partner. Bella, this is my…father, Carlisle Cullen."

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Cullen." I said gently, my eyes darting curiously between Edward and his father.

"Carlisle please…and the pleasure is mine Bella." He smiled, showing off his straight white teeth."I assure you…Edward? I would like to see you in my office before you head down for dinner, I have something very important I need to talk to you about."

"Yeah…Like what?" My eyes widened in horror at Edwards words and my gaze shot to his father, whose face never lost its look of serene patience though I could see the slight narrowing of his eyes. After being around Charlie so long it was easy to notice subtle changes in peoples' demeanor.

"I don't think Bella wants to hear it son. Just be in my office in three minutes so I can talk to you." He turned to me after that and gave a bright smile. "Bella it was wonderful meeting you, have a nice night alright?"

"Yes sir, you too." He nodded and shot Edward another look before exiting the room, leaving the door open wide behind him.

"You'd better go." I told him, but he just scoffed and ran a hand through his hair.

"He can wait." He answered. "It's no big deal."

"Umm alright…well I need to go inside now, I've got a lot of homework to get done." I didn't really want to go back inside and try to focus on the revolutionary war, but I knew I needed to get the work done and Edward needed to talk to his father.

"Yeah, you're right." He said after a moment, "I've got work to do too actually. Fuck well…alright I'll see you at school tomorrow then."

"No you won't." I told him, and he looked confused for a moment before I said. "Tomorrow is Saturday, remember?"

"Oh! Well then…umm…yeah. Goodnight Bella." He shook his head as if berating himself and I held in a laugh.

"Goodnight Edward." I shut the window and drew the curtain before pulling the corner back and watching silently as he went inside and shut his own window, turning the light off in his room before going to talk to his father.

"Strange boy." I whispered, smiling as I turned and walked back to my desk.

* * *

**Authors Note ***IMPORTANT***:** First, I want you to know that even if you may feel like this is too slow, or nothing is happening...stick with the story because it's coming. Everything is building, and things are happening they're just subtle. Next, I'd like to thank PrettyFlour for all her help with this chapter, she was such an amazing help you guys don't even know.** Lastly, there are 2 recent Kristen Stewart quotes and ****I will be giving a special teaser to the first 5 people who review telling me what they are.** Good luck and follow me on twitter and join the HTB blog. Links are on my profile! :)**  
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	9. The First Taste

**** A Note BEFORE You Read******:** Alright so I know the issue of abuse is a very touchy one. I have been lucky so far that this story has been so well received. Personally I have never dealt with domestic abuse, so for this chapter I had to go off of other things to try and explain some of the psychological aspects. I DO NOT mean to offend anyone in any way and I truly tried my best with this chapter. Thank you to **PrettyFlour** and **Veraleeon** for all their help, couldn't have done this without you! I want to say I am proud of those who have dealt with abuse and have overcome it. To those who are currently dealing with domestic abuse of any type, **YOU ARE LOVED AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE!** Thanks so much everyone, read on…the chapter is named after the after the Fiona Apple song by the way!

**- Chapter 8 –**

**The First Taste**

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"Alright, what do you want? What's so damn important?" I walked into the dimly lit office and my father glanced up briefly at me from the portfolio in front of him before turning his sharp eyes back to the pages.

"Have a seat Edward." He said calmly, gesturing to the dark leather chair in front of his desk with a slight wave of his hand.

"No thanks."

"Edward…" He sighed and put his portfolio on the mahogany desk before rubbing his temples with the tips of his fingers. "Sit down…now. There's something I need to talk to you about." I rolled my eyes in annoyance but stepped forward and pulled the chair out roughly before dropping down onto the cushioned seat.

"There…now what the hell do you want?"

"I want you to stay away from Isabella Swan."

"Excuse me?" I asked, disbelief at his audacity coloring my tone. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I received a phone call from Charles Swan earlier this morning. He wasn't happy. He says he heard a boy in his daughters' room last night when he came home from work. Now, can you explain that to me please? Tell me why you were in the girls' room?"

"I wasn't in her fucking room." I yelled, pissed that he was even talking to me about this. Why was he making it such a big deal? It wasn't like we were doing anything wrong, and I hadn't even been in her damn room. I sighed in frustration, not even about to tell him what we were actually talking about, since he was pissing me off, so I made up the first thing that came to my mind that wasn't a total lie. "We're biology partners. We were standing on our balconies talking about homework. I mean what the hell did the guy think we were doing?"

"I don't know Edward, you're guess is as good as mine, but I want to keep everything smooth with Chief Swan. Marcus doesn't want anything going wrong before he comes next month."

"What are you talking about, why –" My eyes widened and I let out an astonished laugh as it all came together in my head. "You have got to be fucking kidding me! I mean really fucking kidding me with this shit! Seriously…you have the chief of police in your back pocket? God you know, I knew it wasn't a coincidence that we just happened to move next to a damn cop."

"Nothing is coincidence." He told me as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes scrutinizing me. "I came out here months ago to arrange a situation for us. That's when I met Chief Swan. He's pretty crooked, took our deal almost the moment it was set on the table. I'm actually surprised he's a cop let alone the Chief of the whole police force."

I laughed sarcastically and he just shook his head.

"I've never pretended to be on the right side of the law Edward. I have always done what needs to be done. To be quite honest, after seeing his daughter, I'm surprised Chief Swan is still on the right side of the law himself." My gaze, which had been on an old painting of some Paris Opera house, shot his at the mention of Bella.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, trying to sound uninterested though my mind was suddenly on high alert.

"Have you forgotten that I am also a licensed doctor? There is no way that girl got those bruises on her face by accident." He said the words so calmly and detached that it took a second for his words to actually sink in. When they finally did a moment later I was so overcome with rage that I felt as if I could literally feel my blood boiling.

"Are you telling me…"I said slowly, trying my best to contain myself. "…that Bella is being abused by her father, the fucking chief of police?" He continued to watch me for a moment and my fists were clenched into white knuckled fists before he graced with a damn response.

"I don't know what's going on Edward. I just know that those injuries aren't an accident. I shouldn't even be telling you all this. But I want you to be aware of what's going on so that there aren't any…incidents that mess things up. Understand me? Edward, stay away from Isabella Swan."

I didn't even hear him.

"Car accident my ass." I mumbled, then jumped up from the chair. "I'll kill that son of a bitch."

"You will do no such thing!" He growled, his voice dripping menace.

"You're right." I replied through gritted teeth as I ran an anxious hand through my hair. "You will."

"No. I will not."

"What the hell! Did you even see her? I may not like the world we live in but I do know the fucking rules. You guys don't stand for that shit. It's the one thing I actually admired about the La Cosa Nostra. You've roughed me up some sure, but you sure as hell haven't ever done to me what he's done to her! Since the man, if you can even call him that, is with you guys that means he deals with the fucking consequences of abusing his own daughter." Carlisle was already shaking his head before I finished, and when he looked back up at me his storm colored eyes gazed at me with unhidden curiosity.

"You're awfully riled up about a girl you just met." He said as his head tilted slightly, but I didn't miss a beat.

"She's a nice girl." I replied through clenched teeth. "She doesn't deserve to be attacked by her own damn father."

"Yes I can tell she's a nice girl, and no she doesn't...but it's none of our concern…wait, don't interrupt me. Charles Swan is affiliated with the organization yes, but he is not a made man Edward. He didn't take our oath to abide by our laws so our rules do not necessarily apply to him. Since Marcus is determined to have things go smoothly, I doubt he'll want Charles dealt with in the same fashion we usually use."

"So you're telling me that you're just going fucking to let it go? You're going to go to bed every night knowing that an innocent girl is being beaten by her father right next door…A man who works for you?"

"I don't like it Edward, but we don't know what is really going on. It's just my opinion, and my hands are tied."

"That is such bullshit!" I cried, smacking my hand down on the desk. He didn't even flinch. "You know exactly what is going on!"

"No, I don't…and I will say this just one more time Edward so you had better listen to me. Stay away from the girl." I leaned over the desk and stared into his eyes for a long moment before giving a disgusted snort and leaning back as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Fine." I told him with a shake of my head. I had no intention of leaving Bella alone now. Not after this. "But what are going to tell Alice, huh? Bella is her friend too."

"I've already spoken to Mary-Alice…she doesn't know the details of course, but she understands it's safer for everyone, including Isabella, if you three weren't to have contact with her."

"Does mom know?" I asked suddenly, seeing only a flicker of emotion cross his eyes at the mention of my mother. "Does she know that there is girl next door who is so scared of her damn shadow she can barely manage to look up from the ground when she walks? Does mom know your _opinion _on what your new associate does to his daughter when he's not busy making shady-ass deals with the goddamn mafia…huh….well does she?"

"No, she doesn't."

"No, because you just as well as I do that she wouldn't allow to it continue."

"That's exactly right." He replied, taking of his reading glasses and folding his hands. "Your mother would run over there with a loaded pistol the moment I hinted at it. That's part of the reason I married her Edward, part of the reason I love her. She's a strong woman who can handle this life…but that doesn't mean I will put her at risk unnecessarily. Or cause her pain over a girl she doesn't even know."

"You think you're keeping her safe." I told him as I turned away. "But you put her at risk the moment you married her." I stopped when I reached the door and looked over my shoulder. "And she hates it by the way…Alice…she hates it when you call her Mary."

"That's what your mother and I named her." He said as reached for his reading glasses again, slipping them stealthily back on his face before picking up his portfolio and skimming the pages. "Tell your mother I'll be down for dinner after I'm done going over this ledger alright? It should only be a few minutes."

"Tell her yourself." I replied with disgust. "I'm not hungry." Shutting the door behind me I walked back to my room with my going insane over everything I had just learned about Bella Swan. Alice and I had been right not believe her lie about that damn car accident, but I never thought…I didn't know what I thought. Maybe a part of me knew it was happening which was why I had been so damn persistent with her.

_Who knows_? I thought as I walked into my room. _But there definitely was something that drew me to her. _Making my way over to the window I pulled back the curtain, looking across at Bella's window where the light still glowed faintly from inside. Why the hell wouldn't she report the bastard, because he was her father? That wasn't a good enough reason for me. With a loud groan of frustration I let the curtain fall back into place and walked to my bed where I threw myself down onto the firm mattress, staring up at the ceiling with an uneasy mind until the tides of sleep washed over me and I gave into the consuming darkness.

_I could hear large water droplets falling from the ceiling as I huddled into the corner of the dark room, trying to disappear in to the cold, damp walls. The scary men who had hurt me before had left a while ago, but I knew they could be back any minute so I tried as hard as I could to take up as little space as possible. With the back of my hand I wiped the tears away as they fell silently down my bruised cheeks. _

"_I want to go home." I whispered to myself, but my head shot up when a muffled noise from across the small room reached me. I hadn't seen or heard anyone else besides the mean men who took me, I narrowed my eyes as I tried to see through the relative darkness._

"_Hello?"I said softly, but there was no answer other than another muffled noise that was barely audible. It sounded like someone was crying, and even to my four year old ears the sound was so heartbreaking I found myself slowly standing up and walking across the cold room to comfort whatever it was. "Hello? I don't know who you are, but you don't have to be sad." As I neared the corner adjacent to the one I had just been huddled in, the quiet sobbing became louder and a small round form could be seen pushed up against the stone walls._

"_Who are you?" I asked curiously, seeing that it was a girl but she kept her face hidden with a curtain of long dark hair. "Why won't you talk to me?" Stepping closer to the small girl I knelt down, careful of my injuries, and reached out a hand to touch gently touch her tiny shoulder. I gasped in shock when my hand went straight through her as if she were nothing but air, as if she wasn't even there. I blinked and shook my head to clear it, but when I looked back the girl was still exactly where she had been. I took a deep breath and reached out a trembling hand again, but stopped when I glanced over to where the girls head was and came face to face with a pair of dark brown eyes that seemed to be staring straight through me as they peeked out from behind a veil of hair._

"_Edward." She said in a low whisper, and her soulful eyes were far to knowing for someone so young. She couldn't have been any older than I was._

"_Bella."_

My eyes opened and I found myself in my own room again, staring up at my own ceiling, though that was not what my eyes were seeing. All I could see was Bella from my nightmare and the way she sounded so fucking sad, the way her deep eyes burned into me, and the way my hand had gone straight through her as she didn't even exist. It wasn't like any other nightmare I'd had before about when I was taken as a kid. I was still scared as shit sure, but when I saw Bella curled up in the corner of the of that dungeon type room I was held in, even my four year old self was overcome with the feeling of needing to get her the hell out of there. She didn't belong there, scared and alone sobbing in the damn corner. There had been nothing I could do for her though, she had been untouchable to me, and I couldn't do anything...

Letting out a low growl of frustration I threw the blanket off and jumped out of bed, tossing on a thin black t-shirt as I felt my stomach rumble in anger at me for having skipped dinner again the night before. I was staving since the only thing I had eaten that whole day was that delicious slice of pizza, and maybe a full stomach for once would help me to fucking think clearly. Shoving a hand through my hair I quickly walked out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen, coming to an abrupt halt when I saw Alice sitting at the table with Jasper, their heads bent and voices low as they talked.

"What the hell is this?" I asked as I walked into the room, causing Alice to jump in surprise but Jasper, the fucker, didn't even flinch.

"Hi, Edward."Alice said with a small smile once she regained her composure. "Do you want some eggs and toast? I just made them."

"I want to know what the hell _he's_ doing here." I replied, gesturing to Jasper as he sat back in his chair. The short conversation we had in the car at school yesterday after Alice and Emmett got out played in my mind. Jasper had held me back and said he wanted to talk to me, but I just laughed sarcastically and told him to go fuck himself before pushing his arm off and getting out, heading towards the woods that lined the high school. I had nothing to say to him, and I had no urge to listen to the crap he wanted to say to me. I did half expect him to follow me and hold a gun to my head while I listened to whatever bullshit he wanted me to hear, but he didn't and I spent the next two hours listening to music on my I-pod while I ditched class.

"Edward…" Alice said gently, but stopped when Jasper put up a hand to cut her off.

"You're father had to go back New York to this morning for a few days." He said replied calmly. "He asked me to stay here and keep an eye on the place since your mother has to spend a lot of her time up in Port Angeles for her new job."

"Really? That's funny because they've never had a problem leaving us on our own before."

"I don't ask why I'm given certain assignments Edward, I just do them. No questions necessary, you know that." Alice's brow wrinkled at his words and her usually full lips turned to a thin line as she looked at him from across the table.

_Bullshit._ I thought, ignoring her reaction. _He wants Jasper here to make sure I stay away from Bella._

"Fine...just stay out of my way alright? Alice and Emmett may not mind having you around for a few days but I sure as hell don't need a babysitter." He didn't answer but I could feel his eyes, as well as Alice's, follow me as I walked into the kitchen and served myself some of the food on the stove.

"So Edward." Alice called hesitantly as I walked back into the room with my plate. "This may be a stupid question, but since your car is at the shop, Jasper said he would drive me up to Port Angeles to pick some things up from the store. Do you want to come? I mean it would get us out of town for a while."

_Fucking babysitter_ I thought with a slight shake of my head and muffled snort.

"No." I told her, taking a bite of egg off my fork as I walked through the dining area without even slowing. I made my way back to my room so that I could think privately about not only the new shit I had learned about Bella last night, but also what the hell that dream was. There was no way I could talk to Alice with my father's minion lurking around. And to be honest I didn't really want to tell her about what was going on with Bella anyway since I didn't have a plan of action or anything. I had learned a long time ago that talk was useless unless you could back it up.

My last bite of eggs was in my mouth before I even reached my door so once inside I set it on my desk and reached for the pack of cigarettes inside the pocket of the jeans hanging from the chair. Maybe a nice, quiet smoke would help to calm my screwed up nerves and help to clear my equally screwed up head. There were only a few left in the carton, and I made a mental note to myself as I crossed the room and stepped onto the balcony to pick some up by the end of the day.

_I'm going to fucking need them_. I thought wryly, but all thoughts concerning my nicotine addiction flew from my head once I stepped out and saw Bella perched neatly on a little plastic chair with a worn looking book held in her hands. It must have been one hell of a story because she didn't even notice me come out, and the way her eyes were moving rapidly let me know she was thoroughly enthralled with whatever was being said on the yellowed page. She had her long, dark hair swept over one shoulder and a small smile played at her lips as she extended her index finger and turned the page. Well, I felt like a total creeper idiot just standing there watching her read, so after a moment of working of some nerves of fucking steel I cleared my throat softly and braced my hands on the iron railing.

"Hey Bella." I called, and she let out a little scream of surprise before nearly falling out of her chair and landing on her butt.

_Smooth Edward…real smooth…_

_Shut up douchebag…_

"Shit sorry!" I said. "I didn't me to scare you." She looked over at me with wide eyes before calming herself down a little and giving me a small smile. Up until then she had her face turned slightly turned away, and I sucked in a deep breath as I got a clear look at her bruised eye and the light red mark across her cheek. She didn't have her usual layer of makeup on trying to hide the evidence of what happened when her father decided she needed a good hit to the face.

"Oh...hi." Bella closed her book and set it on her lap. "It's fine really…I was just surprised that's all. I was so caught up in my book I didn't even hear you." I nodded and sat on the chair in the corner of the balcony before finally lighting up the cigarette I had originally come out to smoke. I regarded Bella thoughtfully through the thin veil of smoke, keeping my face passive even though the sight of her discolored skin was making me hands itch to fucking hit something...like the asshole who called himself her father.

"So what book are you reading?" I asked her as a way to divert my inner musings and distract myself.

"_Wuthering Heights_ by Emily Bronte. It's my favorite, have you read it?"

"Yeah, I have." I told her, holding back a grimace as I remembered forcing myself through the chapters."I thought it was crap. All those two did was hurt each other and ruin their own lives in the process."

She blinked, an astonished look crossing her face before she leaned forward slightly in her seat.

"How can you say that?" She cried, and I smiled a little at the spark that suddenly lit her eyes. "Cathy and Heathcliff loved each other!"

"They were horrible, selfish people Bella. How anyone can say that the story was about love is beyond me. Neither of them had one redeeming quality. "

"It _was_ a love story though, don't you see? Their love was their one, redeeming quality. Nothing could keep them apart. Not her selfishness, or his evil…not even death in the end." I stared at her in silence for a long moment as I took a pull from my cigarette and wondered how someone so seemingly in tune with the virtues of love could allow herself to be treated so horribly. Bella was clearly an intelligent girl, but as I stared into her large brown eyes, the same eyes that had been filled with so much sadness in my dream the night before, I couldn't control my confusion over the whole damn thing.

"Umm…Edward?" Bella's soft voice broke into my thoughts and I looked to see her smiling with an amused expression on her face. "What are you looking at?" I leaned back in my chair and suddenly decided that I was done talking around what I knew was obviously going on. There was shit I could do when it came to my father and his association with the La Cosa Nostra. He had his obligation to them because of a fucking blood oath and because of that he did horrendous things that most people wouldn't even think of in their worst nightmares. I could do something about this though. I could do something about Bella.

"Your black eye." I told her suddenly, watching her reaction to my statements. "And your busted lip. You know you forgot your makeup today…so that red mark on your cheek is pretty noticeable too."

I watched as the amused glimmer in her eyes faded suddenly and her face paled, causing the redness to stand out that much more.

"I…I told you…I lost control of…my truck."

"Come on, don't play dumb with me Bella…my father is doctor for crying out loud. He knows the difference between accidents and injuries that have been inflicted on purpose. Not to mention the fact that your truck never left the driveway that week, so there is no way it could have gotten fixed the way you said it did."

"I really don't know what you're talking about." She murmured, but the way she was staring at the ground confirmed everything I needed to know.

"I'm talking about how your dad, who's the fucking Chief of police, beats the shit out of you!" Hey eyes widened and she flinched at my harsh tone but didn't say anything.

"You don't know what you're talking about." She whispered, shaking her head.

"It's the truth right?" I pushed her. "Jesus Christ Bella, did you think no one would notice?"

"No one has yet…"

"So what…you're just going to spend the rest of your life being terrified as your fathers personal punching bag? That's bullshit Bella, you deserve better than that." Her body visibly tensed and her eyes shot up to mine, a burning fire behind them as she stood up from her chair and came to stand at the railing of her balcony.

"How do you know what I deserve?" She hissed, and I was taken aback by the sudden change in her. "You don't even know me, so why do you even care?"

"It's not right Bella, and you know that. I don't care who the hell he is, he shouldn't be laying a fucking hand on you. Why haven't you reported him, and why the hell hasn't anyone tried to help?"

"Help me? I'm not some charity case Edward…He's my father and I just get in the way sometimes. I can handle it alright?"

_You have got to be kidding me_. I thought in shock. Her eyes were nothing but deep pools of sincerity. _How brainwashed does he have this girl?_

"No offense Bella." I told her. "But you haven't been doing a very good job of that so far."

"Just leave it alone, Edward."

"Why are you protecting him?" I asked, but she just shook her head.

"Please, Edward…just let me deal with this."

"How long has this been going on?" I pressed her, but a noise from inside her house caused us both to jump a little and she turned back to me with pleading eyes. "I have to go. Please just let it go...I'll be fine alright? You'll see." She turned and grabbed her book from her chair before ducking back through the window and shutting it quietly behind her. I ran a hand through my hair before putting out the last remains of my cigarette out and falling back onto my seat with a heavy thud.

_Well shit just got a lot more complicated_…

For the next week after our argument on the balcony, Bella did her best to avoid me at every turn. If she saw me in the halls she would stop abruptly and turn in the opposite direction, and though she wasn't outwardly hostile, she barely said a word to me during biology unless it pertained directly to the days' assignment. At lunch she would disappear altogether and I wouldn't see her again until I was granted a brief glimpse of her shuffling across the parking after school. I wanted to fucking shake her until she finally got some sense into her head but at the same time I wanted to wrap her tiny body in my arms and protect her from everything and everyone that had ever hurt her. It was such an odd mixture of feelings I had, and though I was doing my best to do what she had fucking asked and keep my distance, I made sure to assess her discreetly during Biology everyday for some new bruise or cut. Something that would let me know she was not holding up her end of the bargain and handling things like she said. It wasn't easy on my part because Bella managed to keep a thick curtain of mahogany hair between us throughout most of the period. I managed though, and to my great relief I never found anything that alerted me to anything new that could have happened.

By Friday my father was still out of town dealing with business for Marcus and had called Jasper out to New York on Wednesday to assist him. She tried to hide it, but I knew Alice wasn't thrilled to see him go because I could tell her obsession with him was still going strong as ever. The further away he was the better in my opinion, especially from Alice because she didn't need to get involved with a traitorous killer like that asshole. She was better than that. She was better than Jasper Whitlock and the whole fucked up situation we called our lives.

The only suck thing about Jasper leaving was that because my car was still at the damn auto shop being worked on, Rosalie was once again forced to give Alice and I rides to school with her and Emmett. Mom really was spending most of her time in Port Angeles with her new Architectural firm and was usually gone for work by the time we even made it downstairs in the mornings. Rosalie of course bitched about one thing or another the whole ride to campus and by the time we reached the student parking lot I all but threw myself out of the car in an attempt to escape with my sanity intact.

_Hale really is a fitting name,_ I thought as I trudged across the campus to my first class. _It's awfully close to hell._

I sat through first period English as a nagging feeling grew in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't bad necessarily, but as my eyes shifted around the cluttered classroom uneasily I felt as is something was slightly off. The strange feeling only intensified when I got to biology and Bella wasn't there sitting at the lab table with her nose buried in the book. She usually beat me to class so it was odd that I was the first one there. I tried not make anything of it at first, she could have been running late, but when Bella didn't show up to class at all I knew something was really fucking wrong. Though it wasn't even that unusual in terms of this past week, when she didn't appear in cafeteria at lunch either I just about ditched the rest of my classes in order to find out what the hell her deal was. I couldn't leave though, and all afternoon I cursed the fact that the Volvo had broken down because I was literally stuck at school and at the mercy of Rosalie. When school finally let out and Emmett appeared in the parking lot with Rosalie close beside him I was ready to burst with tension that had been building up since the second period bell rang and Bella was nowhere to be seen.

"Dude, you alright?" Emmett asked as we pulled on to our street. "You seem pretty tense?"

"I'm fine, just think about shit."

"He's probably just frustrated…if you know what I mean. His hand has to be hurting after so much work this past week." Rosalie smirked into her rearview mirror and I just rolled my eyes at her attempt to goad me about my sex life. Not that I'd had any sense we moved here to Forks, but I wasn't about to tell queen bitch that.

"Rose, don't" Emmett told her, and I quirked an eyebrow at his light admonishment as Alice let out a quiet laugh beside me. Rosalie just sighed loudly and tossed her blond waved over her shoulder as she pulled up in front of the house and I jumped out as soon as the car came to a stop. Bella's truck was parked where it had been when we'd left that morning, and I glanced up the worn down house as I walked across the lawns to the front door.

"Edward what are you doing?" Alice rushed out as she appeared at my side. "You're not supposed to…dad said we're not supposed to talk to Bella. It's not safe…for her or for us."

"She missed Biology today Alice, chill out alright? I'm just…giving her the assignment." We walked up to the covered porch and I knocked loudly on the door for a second before stepping back. After few minutes of no answer I stepped forward and knocked again, louder this time, before waiting again for someone to come to the door. When there was still no answer I stepped back and covered my eyes as I looked up and stared at the house.

"Why don't you give it to her later." Alice told me. "I mean...her truck is here, but she's probably with her dad or something." My eyes shot to her and I felt my jaw clench at her words.

_That's exactly what I'm worried about._

* * *

**Authors Note:** So I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it underwent some major revamping over this past week lol. Well I start my final semester at SDSU so please bare with me as far as updates go for a bit. I'm going to do my best to update as fast as I can. SOOOOO if you have not seen the NEW trailer for this story please check it out on either the blog or at youtube: youtube DOT com/watch?v=3WDE8-0s9J8&feature=player_embedded


	10. When The Sun Rose Again

**- Chapter 9 -**

**When The Sun Rose Again**_  
_

* * *

_Edward knows…his father knows…what am I going to do? God this is so bad! _

I bit nervously at my bottom lip as I tossed my copy of _Wuthering Heights_ onto my bed and pulled on a navy blue hoodie. I cast one last worried glance over my shoulder at the window before stepping out of my room into the hall. The door to the bathroom wrenched open just then and Charlie came out, wiping his moist hands on the thighs of his jeans. I froze for a moment and jumped slightly, but quickly looked away and made my way down the staircase as I mumbled something under my breath about making breakfast. He followed me down into the kitchen and took a seat at the kitchen table before opening up the morning paper he had been holding in his hand. My body was tense as I pulled out the loaf of whole wheat bread from the fridge and slipped two pieces into the little white toaster. It was silent as I scrambled the eggs except for the light sizzling from the pan and the turning of the page whenever Charlie was done reading an article. When the eggs were done I buttered the toast and put the food on a paper plates.

"I'm heading down to the reservation to do some fishing." Charlie said as I set his plate down in front of him. "I'll be back tonight and I expect the list on the fridge to be done. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Good…god this crap is disgusting. Not eating is better than this."

"I'm sorry." I told him softly. "I can…make you something else if you want."

"Don't bother." He said, pushing back his chair and dropping the folded paper onto his half eaten plate. I flinched slightly as he walked past me but he didn't even glance down as he walked to the living room closet and pulled out his fishing equipment which he kept next to his police gear. He walked back and paused in the archway that separated the kitchen and living room.

"Get that shit done." My mouth full of eggs and toast I nodded slightly and watched from the corner of my eye as he turned and made his way out the front door. I finished my breakfast a few minutes later and tossed both my empty plate and Charlie's partially eaten food into the trash. Washing the pan was quick and after wiping down the counter I pulled the list of things that needed to be done from the fridge and sighed. Laundry was the first and easiest task on the list so I gathered up all of mine and Charlie's bedding and loaded it into the washer before grabbing the vacuum and starting on the thick woven rug we kept in the foyer. By about one o'clock I had completed about half of the tasks on the list so I decided to take a quick break and went outside to get the mail that had arrived an hour before. It was freezing as I walked carefully down the drive toward the rusted tin mailbox and my breath came out in little white puffs. I pulled open the mailbox and pulled out the junk, sifting through it as I walked back into the house.

I froze mid-step and my heart skipped a beat when I came to a large white envelope near the back of the stack. My name was printed neatly in the center and an official looking purple logo stared up at me from the upper left hand corner. I knew you were usually supposed to apply to at least three Colleges in case one or two of them didn't work out, but because of the application fees I had only been able to apply to one without Charlie knowing and wondering where the money was. For the one school I chose, I had labored over the essay portion of the application, writing and re-writing just to make sure everything was perfect. I meticulously filled out each section and actually handed the envelope to our mail carrier myself on a day Charlie wasn't home.

Tossing the other pieces of mail onto the wooden stand near the front door I walked dazedly up the stairs to my room. I was shaking by the time I opened the bedroom door and I just sat down on the bed, staring blindly at the envelope for a long moment. After an eternity of sitting there holding my breath, I shook my head and stood from the bed before walking over to my dresser where I kept the picture of my mother. I wanted her- I needed her- with me when I opened that envelope. Sighing deeply as I bent down and reached into the bottom drawer, I gently pulled out the photo and held it up. Renee had been only twenty years old when it was taken, and her large hazel eyes laughed as she shielded them from the sun with a slender hand. Her wild brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and her ruby lips were stretched into a loving grin as she looked down at the little toddler in her lap. I was two, and it was the only photo I had of us together.

"You with me mom?" I whispered as I sat back down on the bed and picked up the envelope with trembling hands. Placing the photo beside me on the bed, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves before tearing open the top of the envelope. The ripping sound was like a chainsaw ricocheting off the walls of the silent house. Closing my eyes I reached in and pulled out a thin sheet of paper, opening them a moment later only when I didn't think my heart could take any more torture. I quickly scanned the first line of text and my breath left me as a tear slid silently down my cheek while I read the words of the letter.

* * *

AMHERST COLLEGE

Office of Admission

Ms. Isabella Swan

775 K Street Forks, WA 98331

December 12, 2011

Dear Isabella,

I am delighted to inform you that you have been admitted to the class of 2015 at Amherst College.

The acceptance committee was impressed by your application and the quality of spirit you captured in your essay written on what admission to Amherst College would mean to you. The competition for spaces in the first-year class at Amherst is always keen and this year, with a record 7, 700candidates, it was especially so. You managed to distinguish yourself in a pool of extremely applicants, and on behalf of the faculty, students, and Administrations at Amherst College, I congratulate you. If you have applied for financial aid, you will be hearing directly from our Office of Financial Aid within a few days.

You have an important decision to make in the next few days. We realize it is complicated by the fact that you may have already placed a deposit at another fine college. **Please confirm your decision regarding this offer of admission by phoning our office with your decision within 7 days of the date on this letter. I also request that you return the enclosed enrollment form immediately thereafter.** If you do plan on attending Amherst you will also need to include a non-refundable deposit of $400.00 made payable to the Trustees of Amherst College.

Isabella, I hope I will have the opportunity to welcome you personally when the class of 2015 gathers on the campus for the first time.

Sincerely,

Katharine L. Fretwell

Director of Admissions/Senior Associate Dean

* * *

The letter slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor with a light flutter, but my eyes were trained straight ahead staring blankly at the wall. I wondered briefly if I was going to wake up any second and realize that it was all just a dream that my subconscious had made up while I slept. After all, there was no way I had actually gotten accepted to the college with the best English program in the Country. Things like that just didn't happen to me…Did they?

_I did it._ I thought a few minutes later as shock started to fade to wonder and elation. _I…I really did it! _I knew the four hundred dollar deposit could prove to be a big problem if the financial aid didn't go through, but I tried not to allow that to cloud the high I was feeling at that moment. I leaned over and gathered the letter from the floor before picking up my mother's photo from beside me. She smiled down at my chubby face and I brought my index finger up to trace the outline of her profile. I hoped wherever she was she was she knew and that the same proud, loving smile was lighting her face.

After a few more sentimental minutes I inhaled a deep breath and stood from the bed again, carrying the photo and envelope to the dresser and hiding them in the bottom drawer. I covered them with a small pile of folded jeans and t-shirts, making sure that nothing was visible underneath the worn garments. With a smile playing at my lips I shut the dresser drawer and stood before heading back down stairs to finish the chores on Charlie's list. I finished quickly, checking and then checking again to make sure that everything was completed to perfection so that Charlie could have no reason to get angry. It must have worked because when Charlie came home later that night he looked around, scrutinizing, before silently handing me a large bag of fish that I quickly turned into spicy fillets. He ate in silence and I asked if there was anything else he needed before heading upstairs to my room for the night. I laid in my bed for a long while thinking about college and what I would do once I was there – who I would meet, what classes I would have to take, what dorm I would live in. Maybe I wouldn't even live in the dormitory, it would be kind of nice to live on my own without having to worry about a roommate. I heard Charlie come up the stairs a while later and my body tensed when his heavy footsteps slowed outside my door. He continued down the hall to his room a moment later and I let out a shaky breath before turning over and falling into a light, dreamless sleep.

The excitement of my admission to Amherst lasted me well through Sunday, but by Monday morning my nerves were on edge as I made my way to school in the drizzling rain. The whole confrontation with Edward on Saturday played in my brain like a movie on loop, and I had a strong feeling that he wasn't going to just forget about it all and leave the whole thing alone like I had asked. I didn't want to have hash it all out again with him, especially at school, but I understood that there was no way to avoid him for good since he was my lab partner and we'd be thrust together for at least an hour every day. Not to mention the fact that he was my neighbor. I knew our constant interaction was unavoidable, and my resolve to just accept and deal with whatever Edward threw at me grew stronger the closer I got to the school. There was no reason I couldn't deal with him, after all I had been dealing with Charlie for years...I would show Edward I could handle one more before I was able to leave for college.

When I reached the campus I parked and made my way toward my first class like usual, determined to speak to Edward and make him understand that I had everything under control. I nodded to myself when I had my little speech down and felt confident it would work, but I stopped abruptly when I saw his familiar bronze head leaning against his locker in the hall as he spoke with Alice. He was frowning about something, and ran a quick hand through his hair before heaving a deep sigh and casting glance in my direction. Maybe it was stupid to try and evade, but I suddenly just couldn't bring myself to take another step toward him. He watched me for a brief moment before suddenly straightening up and taking a deliberate step toward me. His eyes were narrowed into small emerald gems, and my fight or flight impulse kicked in, allowing me to finally turn on my heel and quickly walk in the opposite direction of his opposing form.

I didn't know if I had made things worse, and all through first period French I worried that he might explode at me when we met in Biology. My eyes were glued to the floor when I entered the biology lab and crept my way slowly to our shared desk where I knew he was already waiting. To my surprise though, he didn't say a word when I took my seat on the hard stool beside him. I kept a curtain of hair between us during class, hiding my red face from view, but I could feel his sharp gaze on me the whole time, taking in my every movement. It was an odd feeling, being so closely watched, and I can't say that I really enjoyed it all. As the days wore on though, he never brought up the subject of our confrontation, never even actually said a word that didn't pertain to class, and for that I was immensely grateful. I still avoided him in the hall, and I began eating lunch in my truck instead of the cafeteria, though I stopped when Lauren and Jessica began taunting me again, using the fact that I ate alone in the parking lot as ammunition. Their fear of little Alice's threat must have worn off since we hadn't been hanging out as much. Normally I would have just let it go and not care what they said about me, but I had never been so high on their radar before and figured it was best to play it safe for the time being. On top of everything else I didn't need to add them to my list of worries.

By Thursday it felt as if Edward and I were sort of playing an unspoken game of cat and mouse. We danced around the subject of my father, and didn't even really speak at all unless it was about a project for school. I appreciated him giving me the time to come to him on my own, and I realized as I drove home from school that I was feeling more and more comfortable around him for just that reason. He wasn't pushing me like I thought he would, and clearly wanted to do if his daily scrutiny of my person was any indication. Patience seemed to go against his natural inclination, so the fact he wasn't pressuring me with questions seemed to have me lowering my guard little by little.

_Maybe…I'll talk to him tomorrow_…I thought as I got out of the truck and walked up to the house and slid the key into the lock of the front door. _Just to reinforce the fact that I can handle the situation and I don't need him to interfere or worry. _

"Yeah." I mumbled softly as I pushed open the door. I had noticed when I pulled up to the house that Charlie's police cruiser parked on the street so I had expected him to be seated on the couch in the living room watching football or something as usual. It was utterly silent in the house though, and my eyes scanned the small living room and kitchen slowly as I made my way up stairs to my room.

_Maybe he's in the backyard or something_…I told myself, adjusting my backpack on the shoulder of my good arm. My injured one was slowly healing and getting better, but I could tell it would still be a few more weeks before I could get any use out of it. I let out a soft breath and kicked my door openly gently with my right foot as I thought about the homework and reading I had to do for class. Taking just one step, I stopped cold on the threshold of the room when I noticed Charlie sitting hunched on the edge of the bed facing the window. My heart sped up when I took in the clothes that were chaotically strewn about the room, the bedding that was in a large pile at his feet, and the drawers that were pulled out from the dresser at varying degrees. The closet door was pulled open as well, with its few contents pulled off the shelf and scattered to the floor. It looked as if a raging storm had unleashed itself on my room and left nothing unscathed.

"What…what's going on?" I asked, beginning to take a step backward into the hallway. His back was to me, but I didn't need to see his face to know the he was angry - angrier than I had ever seen him before. His body was stiff and I could tell he was trembling slightly from the almost undetectable quaking of his shoulders.

"You want to tell me what this is Isabella." His voice was quiet, controlled, and he held up a familiar white and purple envelope, my acceptance letter to Amherst. "And this…" He held up the small photograph of my mother in his other hand.

Unthinking, I took a quick step forward into the room as a sort of panic overtook me at the thought of Charlie having the only photo left of my mother.

"How did you find those?" I whispered, sounding slightly manic. "How…how did you even know about them?" He stood from the bed and, with his back still to me, crumpled the photo in his hand before tossing the wrinkled ball and letter on to the bed in disgust.

"I'm asking the damn questions." He growled harshly, whirling around with clenched fists but my eyes were trained on the little photo that was now just a crinkly ball of trash. "Did you think you could hide this from me? You ungrateful little bitch, did you think I wouldn't find out?" A single tear slid down my cheek as I looked at the bed, at the letter that was the key to my future, and at the only piece I had left of the one person who loved me.

_You're special…_I sighed as my mother's words drifted softly through my head, causing an ache in my heart before another, now familiar voice, screamed at me from inside.

_It's not right Bella, and you know that…Why are you protecting him? _In that moment Edward's words were like daggers of truth piercing my brain, and I could no longer avoid them. Charlie was my father and I should mind him like a good daughter should, but did obeying him that mean I should have to endure a life of endless beatings and harsh accusations? I glanced up at Charlie's red, furious face and wiped the salty moisture away with the back of my hand as I became suddenly angry.

"Find out what?" I asked him, satisfaction coursing through me when he looked taken aback by my tone. "That I didn't want to live here and be your punching bag anymore?"

"How dare you, I have given you everything!" My eyes widened and a small laugh escaped me as I watched him clench and unclench his fists across the room. I wasn't scared this time though, I was done letting him smack me around. If he came at me this time I was going to fight back.

"Yeah." I agreed but my tone was sarcastic. "You've given me everything alright, including black eyes, busted lips, and broken bones." He shook his head and took a step toward me with his long stride. I didn't budge from my spot but I kept my eyes on him as I began to ease my backpack off my shoulder and braced to run if tried to lunge for me.

"You disappoint me Isabella." He murmured, and his voice was calm again. Too calm, and I just knew he was holding back until he was ready. It was how he worked, wait until my guard was lowered and then go in for the kill. "You know have to be punished when you're insolent and out of line, I thought you understood your place, clearly I was wrong."

"Well I'm sorry to be such a disappointment, I really am… but I'm leaving and going to Amherst even if it means I have to take thousands of dollars out in loans."

"Oh you won't have to take out any loans. You see the college's Financial Aid office called today." I felt the blood drain from my face as I processed his words and smug grin.

"What…what did you do?" I whispered, my brow furrowing as I looked at him through narrowed eyes.

"I spoke with the Financial Aid advisor who transferred me to admissions. I explained that you're needed here and that you've decided not to attend their fine institution."

"You declined my admission." It wasn't a question and I said it more to myself than to him, the words barely audible on my lips. My focus on Charlie's movements wavered though and the moment I took my eyes off him, he reached out and tried to grab for my injured wrist. My eyes shot up just in time, and I jerked back, chucking my bag at him in an effort to slow him down and run. I barely made it to the stairs when I felt a harsh pull on my hair that caused me to briefly see an explosion of stars.

"You're not going anywhere." He hissed, giving my ponytail a rough jerk and causing me to cry out. He turned me to face him and I felt a stinging slap across my face before I was being pulled down the hall, back toward me room.

"Stop!" I cried, thrashing my legs and arms when he covered my mouth a large, muscled hand. "Stop it! Let me go!"

"You've never been so belligerent before, you clearly need to be taught a lesson Isabella…just like your goddamn mother. She never did understand, but you will." My breath hitched and I went limp for a moment before suddenly using all my strength to thrust my body forward and break out of his grasp. If Charlie had been expecting it I doubt it would have worked, but he was so wrapped up in his mind he wasn't prepared for me to make a sudden movement like that. I sprinted toward the staircase again and managed to make it down the first two steps before Charlie was behind me, gripping the excess fabric of my cotton hoodie. He tried to pull me back and I lost my footing, falling forward down the steps until I reached the small wooden landing at the bottom. As I rolled uncontrollably down the steps I consciously did my best to protect my already broken arm, but my I could do nothing as I reached the last one and felt my forehead slam hard into the paneled wall at the bottom. Stars erupted in front of my eyes again, this time accompanied by little black dots of unconsciousness. I caught my breath for a moment and blinked my eyes, then slowly turned over onto my back as I let out a loud groan of pain. My vision was blurry and my head was swimming, but I could faintly make out Charlie's form as he came down the steps toward me.

_Sorry_…was my last conscious thought before I gave into the darkness and everything went black.

I don't know how long I was unconscious, but it must have been hours because when I finally opened my eyes, early morning sunlight filtered through the windows and lit the house with a soft gray glow. Every part of my body ached or throbbed, and as my eyes scanned my surroundings I realized that I was no longer strewn across the staircase like I had been. Instead I was sprawled out on the hardwood living room floor, next to the coffee table that now had a large crack in the center of the glass top. Charlie must have dragged me from the stairs after I blacked out, and he was already gone for work if I was right about it being early Friday morning. I was thankful he had an extra long shift at the station on Fridays so I would be spared interaction with him for the most part. I flinched and sucked in a sharp breath as I tried to sit up, then as gingerly as I could I got to my feet and limped out of the living room as I cradled my arm. School was not an option and I knew it, but I wondered if Charlie would be upset all over again if I missed the day.

_Well he didn't kill me last night._ I thought as I made my way up to my bedroom…_Maybe he should have…_I shook the dark thought from my head and tried to ignore the smear of blood that was on the wall at the base of the steps, the splintered wood of the handrail that my leg probably hit when I toppled down the stairs. I thought I was dead when I saw Charlie's blurred form coming towards me on the stairs, thought he was finally just going to put an end to it all and finish what he was always threatening to do. Why he wouldn't left me feeling more unsettled than him actually getting physical. I thought I understood his pattern, or was at least beginning to, but I had never seen him so….crazed. It went beyond rage and anger, he had been so seemingly detached that it was almost like it wasn't even him.

_But it was_…I told myself as I entered the bedroom and surveyed the destruction that seemed to mirror my life with shocking similarity. Avoiding the mess on the floor I walked slowly over to the bed and picked up the photo Charlie had crumpled up and smoothed it out as best I could. The creases had cracked the photo and caused white lines to spread like a spider's web across the image. Without taking my eyes off my mother's face I reached down and picked up the comforter from the floor and pulled it, and my Amherst acceptance letter, with me as I laid down on the bed. I let the tears I had held back fall freely as I traced the Amherst logo lightly with my index finger and stared at the photo. I knew I could call the college and try to talk to admissions, but what good would it do if Charlie had already declined the acceptance. They had thousands of applicants just waiting to take an open spot for the semester. They weren't going to just give me my spot back because ask them to. Emotionally exhausted and in pain, I feel into broken sleep that, hours later, left me even less rested than before.

It was dark again before my growling stomach forced me out of bed and down to the kitchen where I made a peanut butter sandwich even though I didn't even feel like eating. I hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before though, and in order to keep what little strength I had I knew I needed to eat something, anything. Managing to get half of the dry, breaded concoction down before tossing the rest in the trash, I grabbed an ice-pack from the freezer for my head before leaving the kitchen. I had yet to survey the extent of injuries in a mirror, and though I really didn't want to have to look at myself, I found myself standing in the houses' single bathroom, staring at my ghostly reflection. I winced as I took in the newly busted lip, the bruises that peppered my chest, and the swollen eye that was right back to where it had been just a few weeks ago. Other bumps and scraps littered the flesh of my arms and legs as well, and after a minute of looking at my broken body I couldn't take it anymore and turned from the reflection in disgust. When I walked back into the room the alarm on my night stand flashed two o'clock a.m. and I turned to the window where I could see the balcony slightly illuminated from the porch light next door. I pulled back the semi-sheer blue curtain and looked across towards Edward's darkened window. His intense green eyes, narrowed in frustration floated across my mind as I remembered his words as they played in my head earlier beside my mothers. Before I could even think about and process what I was doing, I had the window open and was standing at the rusting iron rail in the bitingly cold wind wondering the best way to get across. Our two balconies were nearly close enough to touch but my injuries had me second guessing whether or not I was able to climb up and over onto Edwards balcony. After a few moments of deliberation I hitched my leg up and over the edge of the rail and braced myself as best I could with my injured arm. I flinched when a shot of pain flew up my arm as I applied too much pressure, and quickly tried to ease off the arm.

_This is a really bad idea!_ My mind screamed as I reached my foot down to Edward's balcony. _Really bad! What am I doing? _I paused and took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment before carefully maneuvering my other leg over the rail and pushing back lightly with my arms so that I was standing firmly on the concrete balcony outside of Edward's room. Knowing I might lose my nerve if I gave myself too much time, I paused just long enough to catch my breath before turning and coming face to face with the reflective glass of the window. I reached out with a loose fist and, keeping my eyes downcast, knocked quietly on the glass again before stepping back into the shadows of the balcony. It remained quiet for a few minutes and I was beginning to get worried he wouldn't come when I heard the window slide open. M eyes shot up for a brief a second before looking back down at the concrete then up again. I bit thoughtlessly at my split lip and winced in pain as I inched closer to the pool of light that was now seeping out from the bedroom. The thick tip of a baseball bat was the first thing I saw and I moved back quickly in a sudden panic before seeing Edwards copper head appear. He fully emerged onto the balcony a moment later with only a white t-shirt on and a pair of loose fitting black cotton pajama pants hanging low on his hips.

_This was a stupid idea, _I thought, my breath hitching as I moved back further._ I shouldn't have come…I should have just –_

"Bella?" Edward mumbled, dropping the bat to his side while sounding as if he was still half asleep and not sure if this was some sort of dream or not. "What are you doing over here? Shit you know…you scared the hell out of me today, where were you?" His annoyed, if not somewhat angry, tone was laced with clear concern and I could feel all my resolve melt away as he stepped closer to where I stood hidden in the shadows. My eyes grew blurry with unshed tears and my throat closed up as I stared at the now black silhouette of the first person besides my mother to ever seem like they really cared about what was happening to me.

"Bella?" Edward asked, but his voice was quieter. "What's wrong, why aren't you fucking saying anything?" I shuddered a breath and shook my head as I tried to find my voice. What was I supposed to say? What could I say?

"Edward…" I whispered almost inaudibly a minute later, and then stepped into the light coming from his bedroom. "You were right.

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**Authors Note:**OH MY GOD IT'S POSTED! I'm sooo sorry it took so long guys, I did not mean for it to...you can pretty much expect long delays between chapters though, at least until December. School and my internship are just taking up all my time...and while I will continue to update, I really wish for you guys to just work with me because it may take a while for new chapters. NOW, as far as this chapter is concerned...I know it's very heavy and full of drama...hey, that's pretty much what you signed up for right? I hope you're proud of our girl for fighting though, even if she pretty much lost. Or did she? Love you all, please click that little button down there that says review so I know what you thought of the chapter! :) You all have been so amazing with reviewing I can't even thank you enough!**  
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	11. Everywhere I Go

**Chapter 10:** Everywhere I Go_  
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_I'm going to kill that son of a bitch. I'm going to –_

"No." Bella's soft voice called out behind me and I paused my anxious pacing before turning to face her as I realized I had actually spoken my thoughts allowed. She sat curled up on the hardwood floor of my room with her back against the foot board of my bed and her thin legs pulled tightly to her chest. Her haunted eyes were still red and puffy as she gazed up at me and I could not understand for the fucking life of me how she could sit there, bruised and broken, and defend that asshole after spending the last hour sobbing into my shoulder. It didn't make any sense.

"Bella…" I said firmly, bending down to look her in the eyes. Her right one was quickly darkening, swelling up and I restrained my sudden anger at not just the monster that did this to her, but Bella as well. "How the hell can you sit there and defend him after what he did to you? Have you even seen yourself in the mirror? Have you seen what he did to you?" I kept my tone as soft as I could, but I could hear traces of my anger seep in and she flinched as I placed my hand gently over hers.

"Yes I've...seen it." She whispered, her eyes were on our joined hands. "I'm not defending him…I…"

"Then what the hell are you doing?" I waited for her to reply, but she shook her head silently, refusing to look up. I sighed and sat on the ground in front of her, keep my hand lightly on top of hers to show some form of comfort though I was probably doing a horrible fucking job of it.

"This was a bad idea." Bella murmured quietly after a moment. "I shouldn't have come here." She tried to pull her hand away and stand, but there was little strength behind the movement and I wouldn't release her. There was no way I was going to let her leave and go back to that house, not after she had finally managed to realize that she needed help.

"I'm not going to let you go back to that house. I won't Bella…you don't deserve what that monster does to you." She relaxed onto the hardwood and took several deep, shuddering breaths that seemed to cause her whole body to convulse. When I was sure she wouldn't run away scared like a goddamn deer caught in a pair of headlights I removed my hand from hers. We sat in silence for a few long minutes as Bella wrung her hands together nervously and I waited for her to talk.

"I didn't do anything to him." She murmured a few minutes later, her voice caught. "And I never…I never asked to be born, you know? Why did he even keep me…if he hates me so much?" There were no answers I could give her. I didn't have any. But I knew I had to say something, the girl was feeling completely alone hopeless.

"Bella, I—"

"Edward...I know… I know we've been through this before but –"

"But what?" I asked softly as her voice trailed off.

"We hardly…I mean we hardly know each other right?" I nodded at her statement, already knowing what she was trying to say because she was right. We had already talked about it on the balcony last week. I hadn't been completely truthful last time though, with Bella or myself. "So why is that you're so…so concerned about…me? What is it?"

"Bella—" I murmured, but she cut me off.

"Is it because of Alice?" She asked quietly. "Because she considers me a friend? Or do you just…feel sorry for me? I don't want you to feel sorry for me Edward…or…or pity me because you think I'm too weak to take care of myself. In spite of what I just said about my father, I don't…I don't want your pity." Her eyes were glued to the far wall of the room where my black piano sat quietly in the moonlight filtering through the closed window. She seemed fascinated by the large instrument, but at the same time her eyes held a far off look that made me think she wasn't really looking at it the piano itself. She was one big contradiction.

On the one hand she was so strong. Strong enough to have survived years of horrible abuse, but on the other hand she was also one of the most fragile people I'd ever met. There were also times, like right then, when she seemed as if she was present in the moment, but at the same time she appeared distant as if her mind were somewhere else entirely.

"I don't feel sorry for you." I told her firmly a moment later, and her eyes shot to my face for just a second before glancing away again. I could tell she didn't believe me, but it didn't matter. It was the truth. "I don't pity you either. I guess…part of it is that your Alice's friend, sure. But…fuck… I really don't know Bella! I can't put it into words. But I know that he shouldn't do that to you, no one should. I guess maybe… another part of it's because…"

She waited silently for a few minutes for me to find the words, but when it looked like I wasn't going to answer she let out a soft "Because?"

"I don't know. I'm not exactly the closest with my own father. Maybe part of it is that, in some ways, you remind me of myself or some shit."

"Your father hits you?" She sounded equal parts horrified and amazed, and it was my turn to look away then. I kept my gaze away from her but smirked wryly as I ran a hand through my tangled hair.

"Everyone has secrets Bella, remember? But no he doesn't hit me…not really." She stared at me through her rapidly swelling eyes, weighing my words and the truth of them. It wasn't exactly the scenario she was picturing, but since I really didn't want to get into the gory details of my home life, I left it alone. This wasn't about me anyway, it was about her. I stood up slowly and looked down at her small body curled up on the floor. "Look…you're probably hungry. Why don't I go get you a something to eat and some ice for your face? I bet it hurts." She bit her lip, wincing a little, before nodding her head in agreement.

"Is a sandwich ok? Or I'm sure we have pasta. We always have fucking pasta."

"You're asking me what I want to eat." Bella's voice held such gratitude and surprise that I was once again overcome with the overwhelming desire to beat Charles Swans face in. And then step on it. She couldn't even make a simple decision about what to eat without feeling like it was some great luxury.

"Yes, I'm asking." I told her. "What would you like to eat?"

"Umm…a sandwich is fine. I'm not really…a fan of pasta."

"Really?" I asked as I pulled my grey t-shirt on. "Well don't let my mother hear you say that. We're Italian, and mom takes a lot of pride in her home-made pasta dinners. Why don't you like it, too many carbs?" It was meant to be a joke, but when I glanced over to Bella I saw that she wasn't smiling. Her brow was furrowed and she was staring down at the floor again.

"It's Charlies favorite." She announced quietly. "I always make him spaghetti when I want to put him in a good mood." She didn't sound upset at all. She just stated the words with a detached tone, though I noticed her flinch slightly when she said the assholes name. I paused my movements at her words though, mentally cursing myself for even asking the damn question. Who cares if the girl doesn't like pasta, why the hell did I have to pry? It didn't matter one way or the other. I turned back to her with a forced smirk plastered to my face.

"Well shit, a sandwich it is then. You have a preference?"

"Anything you have is fine." She answered, giving me a small smile. "Thank you."

"No problem. Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." I heard Bella sigh softly as I walked out of the room, closing the door securely and quietly behind me. It was late, well past midnight, but I didn't want to take the chance of someone waking up and finding Bella in my room. That would just lead to way too many questions that neither of us wanted to answer. I mean, what the hell would I say? _Oh, her? Don't worry, her dad beats the shit out of her, but it's all good now because I've talked her into not going back? Yeah right._I scoffed at the thought and walked as silently as I could down the hall, grimacing when the last step of the damn staircase groaned loudly under my weight. I froze and waited to see if the noise would wake anyone up. When I didn't hear any movement from upstairs I continued across the darkened living room toward the kitchen. The stainless steel fridge cast an eerie glow across the room, throwing deep shadows on the corners.

"Hello Edward." I jumped at the quiet voice, whipping my head around and narrowing my eyes before flipping on the light switch that rested about the counter next to the fridge. Mom sat perched neatly on a chair at the breakfast table, wrapped in a pale satin rob with her light waves pulled back into a low ponytail behind her shoulders. She smiled wanly at me and I exhaled a heavy breath.

"Jesus Christ! Mom, what are you doing sitting down here in the dark?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you _miele_."

"You didn't scare me." I told her softly, turning my attention back to the contents of the fridge. I didn't miss the half empty glass of wine that sat in front of her on the table. "You just surprised me is all."

"Alright then. Oh, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat if you want."

"Uh…I'm good. I can make myself a sandwich." I reached in and pulled out a half loaf of Italian style bread, a package of thick slices of pastrami and small jar of spicy mustard. I didn't know what Bella liked, but she had said anything so I decided to make her my favorite and hope for the best. I could always make her something else if she didn't want the thing.

"Sit down Edward. I know you can do it, but I'm your mother. I like doing things for you. I hardly ever get to anymore. Even for Alice, though she still let's me from time to time." Mom stood from the table, leaving the glass, and walked over to the counter where I had put out the contents for the sandwich. I stepped back and leaned against the fridge while mom twisted off the lid of the mustard jar and laid out two pieces of bread.

"Thank you." I told her. "So, why are you awake at…" I turned and looked at the clock on the wall across from me. "Two-thirty in the morning? Damn it's late."

"Couldn't sleep." She replied. She opened the package of pastrami and laid out three thick slices onto the bread. "I can never sleep well when your father is gone like this. Especially this long. It just never feels right, you know?" I gave a loud snort over her concern.

"You shouldn't keep yourself up at night worrying about him. He doesn't deserve it. Besides, I'm sure he's just fine. I mean how could he not be? He's programmed to stay alive at all costs." She stuck a small butter knife into the jar of mustard and swabbed the inside, never once turning to look at me while she smeared it onto the meat.

"Ci sono cose che non capisci Edward, molte cose."

"You know," I replied, pushing away from the fridge and stepping next to her. "I really wish people would stop telling me all this cryptic shit. I don't understand? Well then why doesn't someone fill me the hell in? Why don't you?"

"_Dolce cuore_, it isn't that simple."

"Yes it is." I replied her through gritted teeth. "You shouldn't keep shit from me."

"No." She whispered, so quietly it seemed as if she said it to herself. She was staring down at the sandwich, her eyes far off. Then she quickly turned to me with a stern expression on her porcelain face, and handed me the freshly made sandwich on a paper plate. "But you should try and take it a little easier on your father. He's really a good man. Do you think I would I have married him if I didn't truly believe that, in spite of everything he does, in spite of everything he will do, he's a decent man?" I stared down into her storm colored eyes for a long moment, then moved back as I took a small bite of the sandwich in my hand.

"Dimmi con chi vai, e ti dirò chi sei." I told her quietly before stepping around her small frame that was backed against the countertop. Her eyes were on me as I walked out of the kitchen, but I didn't look back even as I heard the soft clinking of glass a moment later. The stairs creaked loudly as I made my way back to my room, thinking over the conversation with my mother. I had always known they were keeping things from me. I just didn't know what. Now it was more apparent than ever, but I still had no damn clue what it was. Cursing silently with frustration, I tried pushing the unsettling thoughts from my mind as I came to the end of the hall where my bedroom was. I eased the heavy door open, looking down to make sure I didn't spill anything onto the pristine hardwood.

"Hey, Bella." I whispered, trying to keep my voice low as I entered the room "I hope you like pastrami. Sorry there's a bite out of the corner, my mom was—" I froze when I glanced up and saw Bella lying on the floor with her arm supporting her head and her legs curled up so that her body formed a little protective ball. Her breathing came in shallow huffs, which as the son of a sometimes doctor, I knew wasn't a very good sign. Still, though she couldn't possibly have been comfortable on the hard floor, she looked so peaceful that I couldn't find it in my heart wake her. Instead I silently set the plate of food on my dresser and bent down, careful not to jostle her and wake her up as I lifted her off the floor. She felt lighter than a damn feather, and she didn't even stir a muscle as I moved around the side of my bed. It wasn't that surprising considering she probably hadn't had a decent night sleep in years. I placed Bella gently on the mattress, her head of the plush pillow, and covered her small body with the dark blue comforter. I looked down at her still form, peaceful in sleep, for just a quick moment before sighing heavily and snatching another pillow from the other side of the bed. I laid out a small area for myself on the floor at the foot of the bed with a few spare blankets from my closet, and made sure the bedroom door was locked before lying down. The cold, stiff floor was uncomfortable through the slight padding of blankets, but I was still out cold less than a minute after my head hit the pillow.

Light filtered through the open window the next morning, a cold breeze tousling the curtains. In the distance I could hear a car pulling out of a driveway outside and a bird singing a cheerful song off in some tree. I turned over on my stomach and groaned loudly into the pillow when a hard knock on the door caused me to jump a minute later.

"Go away." I grumbled. The pillow muffled my gruff voice.

"Edward, get up douche!" Emmett's booming voice sounded through the door as if he were standing right above screaming into my ear. Another loud bang crashed down on the door and my hands clenched the corners of the blanket I had pulled over my head.

"Fuck…go away." I buried my face deeper in the softness of the pillow.

"Come on! The auto place in Port Angeles called. The Volvo is ready. Mom is going to drive you before she goes into the office. But you have to go now."

'Ugh…who goes into the office on the damn weekend?" I smiled instinctively at the small laugh that caught my attention, but the light giggle cut off abruptly and I quickly tossed the blanket off me before sitting up. Bella sat on the edge of my bed, a trembling hand covering her mouth and her eyes wide as she stared down at me. She lowered her hand and bit her lip nervously while throwing an anxious glance at the door.

"Edward, let's go!" I stared up at her and put a finger to my lips. She nodded her head vigorously and scooted back on the bed.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back while getting to my feet. "Tell mom unless she wants to be seen with me in my underwear, she'll have to wait five damn minutes while I put my clothes on." I heard Emmett grumble something through the door, then his footsteps retreated down the hall toward the stairs. When they faded away completely, Bella let out a breath of relief and turned to me.

"I'm so sorry."

"We gonna start that shit again?" I asked her, pulling on my favorite black v-neck shirt. "What are you so sorry for?"

"I...I almost got you caught."

"Sciocco Bella." I said, laughing when she shot me a very confused expression. "It's Italian. Means 'silly Bella.' And really it's fine. Emmett didn't hear a thing. He's probably still half asleep."

"Are ...are you sure? I don't want to cause any problems between you and your family." I pulled a pair of worn, dark wash jeans from my dresser and sighed. Sitting there on the bed, her face bruised and her body broken, Bella resembled a lost little lamb more than she did a teenage girl. Her large brown eyes watched me with worry plain in their warm depths, and though she had more control over herself now than last night, I could still see the ever so slight trembling of her shoulders.

"I'm sure. Don't fucking worry about it, alright?" She nodded silently. "Alright then...I want you to stay here until I get back okay? We'll figure something out then."

"Edward, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"It'll just be for a few hours." I told her.

"Charlie probably didn't check on me last night, which is why it's so quiet. If he finds out I'm gone though..." Her voice trailed off as she probably realized she didn't know what he would do. Would he be angry that she had left? Would he be glad to be rid of her? Just the thought made my fists clench. How could someone be so cruel to their own daughter?

"Bella," I said as I sat down next to her on the bed. "You're not going back over there. It's too damn dangerous."

"Edward—"

"He'll kill you Bella." Her sharp intake of breath was all I needed to confirm that she understood the gravity of what I was saying. "This may sound really fucking lame or whatever, but you go back over there and that monster will kill you. Maybe not today, or next week. But someday you won't be strong enough to survive night, coming over here,you took a huge step toward getting the life you deserve. Don't take two steps back." Bella stared down unseeingly at her hands, resting palm up on her upper thighs. She didn't say anything for a moment as she thought over my words. I just hoped they were enough to make her understand.

"I know." She murmured a minute later, looking up at me from under her thick,black lashes. "I mean, I know you're right. I just...I don't know..."

"Just stay here until I get back, and then...I don't know...well figure something out. I swear."

"Okay." She sighed, but she was still frowning. "I'll stay."

"Good." I stood up, relieved and satisfied with her answer. "Okay then...now that we have that settled, are you hungry? You never ate the sandwich last night.I could snatch something up from the kitchen before I leave."

"That's alright." She told me, pulling her legs under her."I don't really feel like eating right now."

"You sure? It's really not a problem Bella."

"Yes, thank you. I'll...um...eat that sandwich you made me later. I don't want it to go to waste." I shrugged and made my way toward the bedroom door. I didn't want her to starve, but if she didn't want to eat then I wasn't going to force it down her throat.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to wash up and take off. I'll only be gone for about two hours. Feel free to watch the television or read. Just make sure the sound on the t.v. isn't too loud okay?"

"Okay."

"And I'm going to lock the door so—"

"No!" She cried, her eyes suddenly lighting with terror.

"What? What's wrong?" I glanced around the room swiftly before allowing my eyes to fall on Bella.

"Sorry, I...I just don't like being confined." She said. Her face was red as if she were embarrassed. I hated to think what Charles did with information to make that terrified look come into Bella's eyes."I'm...sort of claustrophobic."

"It's just so no one comes in while I'm gone and sees you." I told her, trying to keep my voice soft. "Alice and Emmett have a really bad habit of coming in and borrowing my shit without telling me. If they come in and see you in here, there will be a lot of explaining to do on both our parts."

"I...I don't..."

"Bella, you're not a prisoner here. I just want to make sure no one comes in my room while I'm gone." I watched her visibly struggle with idea for a moment, her eyes darted nervously around the room, before she glanced over to me with a resigned look on her thin face.

"Okay." The word was a whisper.

"You'll be fine Bella, I swear. I'm sorry I have to leave. Remote is over there on the nightstand, alright? I'll be back soon." I walked out and closed the door gently behind me before clicking thing lock quietly into place.I washed my face and quickly threw on my pants in the bathroom, knowing mom was probably going to be pissed by the time I got downstairs because I was making her run late. She wasn't, and I was surprised to find her instead smiling cheerfully and talking with Alice about something girly when I entered the kitchen. I didn't pay attention to their conversation as a grabbed a bottle of water from the counter. Once mom saw I was ready to go, we quickly said goodbye to Alice and made our way out the door to her black Mercedes that matched my father's except for the interior which she insisted be creme instead of black.

Unlike me, mom did abide by the set speed limit so it took the full hour to get to Port Angeles, and neither of us mentioned our conversation from the night before. We danced around it, and listened to the radio instead while keeping to lighter topics until she pulled into the parking lot for the auto repair garage in the middle of the city. It was a small brick building with two glass windows in the front and auto garage connected on the left side. Two scrawny guys watched from beside an old '67 Mustang as we pulled in and parked in one of the few stalls. My Volvo was parked out front of the main shop, as beautiful and sleek as ever. I walked up and looked her over while mom went inside to pay the owner, running my hand along the silver hood as I sauntered around it and inspected it for any scratches. Lucky for the mechanics, the car looked to be in perfect condition, so I smiled and leaned against the gleaming back bumper while I waited for mom to come out.

"Here you go." She said a few minutes later when she came out of the main building with a little pink invoice in her hand. "Good as new." She dropped the little silver key in my hand and smiled as she pulled her grey coat closer to her body. "I've got to get to the office before noon. Would you do me a favor and pick up the stuff on this list on your way home? You're father called and asked me to make Osso Buco for dinner tomorrow."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, taking the list she offered from her pocket. I was surprised at the over-the-top meal choice. "What's the occasion, the fact that he has actually decided to grace us with his presence?"

"Be nice." Mom warned, then shrugged her tiny shoulders. "But yes, sort of...tomorrow is when Marcus and some other members of the family arrive to oversee some…shipments…and make sure the transition is running according to plan. Your father wants to make sure everything goes smoothly, and since veal is Marcus' favorite—"

"Yeah got it." I cut her off as I unlocked the Volvo and slid into the driver seat. I had been so wrapped with Bella, I completely forgot that those motherfuckers were coming. Now I was stuck picking up the shit to make their oh-so-perfect dinner so that daddy could stuff his already brown nose even further up some arrogant bastard's ass. And what the hell was I supposed to do about Bella anyway? There was no way she could hide out in my room while Marcus and his lackeys were around. I couldn't let her go back to her father though, there was no damn way. We were royally screwed.

"Edward—" Mom knocked on the window and I rolled it down half way. She leaned in, her eyes full of concern.

"You should get to work." I told her. "I'll get the crap from the store."

"_Miele_, it's only for a few days." I gripped the steering wheel harder at her words, my knuckles turning white under the exerted pressure. Mom reached out a hand and placed it gently on my tensed shoulder but I quickly shrugged it off.

"Just go, I'm fine."

"Edward—"

"I said I'm fine." She was silent as she eyed me for a moment, then sighed sadly and stood back from the car. A second later I had the Volvo on and was reversing out of the parking lot. I sped down the empty street racking my brain for some sort of resolution to my now huge problem, but I thought of absolutely nothing as the trees and stores rushed by. My mind was so distracted I nearly missed the damn grocery store, so I made a u-turn and ended up almost side swiping some asshole in a blue sedan that decided to run the red light. I seriously considered chasing after the fucker since he not only almost killed me, but also because he nearly caused me to crash my newly reclaimed silver baby. I would have been pissed to have to turn around and send my car straight back to the auto shop. Since there was no accident I decided to just let it go. There was more important shit to take care of. I just let out a growl of frustration and turned the car into the stores' parking lot instead.

The store was busy but not overly crowded when I walked in. I grabbed a basket and pulled out the list mom had given from my jacket pocket. We had most of the stuff it took to create the Osso Buco, I just had to grab the veal shanks, sea salt, and kitchen twine. As I made my through the overstocked aisles, I wondered if Bella might need anything. I wouldn't be able to hide her at the house with everyone there, so I'd have to find a place to keep her until it was safe. I would still have to get her some clothes from her room but, it would be better if I didn't have to go more than one place in the house. If Charles was home when I decided to go over and I ran into him while trying to get something from the bathroom or whatever, I might just end up killing the son of a bitch. My hands tensed on the cart handle just thinking about an altercation with Bella's father, but as I stood in the hygiene aisle looking at toothbrushes, a loud, cheerful voice calling my name broke my out of my dark thoughts. I glanced up and internally groaned at the site of Jacob Black as he sauntered down the aisle toward me with a wide grin splitting his face and his long ebony ponytail swinging lightly with each lithe movement. I hadn't seen the guy in weeks but his irritatingly positive attitude was already pricking my nerves before he even uttered a damn word. I mean, it was like the dude was high on something. No one is that happy all the damn time.

"Hey, Edward…long time no see man. Still got that brooding emo thing going on huh?" Jacob smacked me hard on the back and laughed. I suppressed a growl of annoyance as I flexed my fists. I didn't want to be a total dick to him, he was actually pretty cool, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with him, or people in general. I had to get back to Bella as soon as I could and figure out some sort of fucking plan to keep her safe and hidden. There was no time to waste and I didn't even know where to begin thinking of a way to keep her from being forced back into that house with Charles Swan if she were found.

"I really can't talk right now Jacob, I'm in a huge rush." I barely spared him a glance as I picked up two disposable toothbrushes. From the corner of my eye I could see him shrug his muscled shoulders and continue to grin as if he didn't have a care in the world. Of course he didn't.

"Sure sure, it's all good." He replied with a grin. "I've got to get going too. My dad and I were supposed to head out to my grandfathers old cabin this weekend, but my sister Rachel decided to make a trip home from college for a visit...so now that's off. It'll be good to see her, but now I'm the one who has to go pick her up from the airport."

_Pink or blue?_ I thought, holding up two disposable toothbrushes. _Blue...Bella is definitely more of a blue kind of girl._

"Yeah that's really fucking great Jake but –" I hadn't really been paying attention to his rambling, but I stopped abruptly and glanced up when his words registered with my distracted brain. I turned to him with what I was sure eyes that couldn't hide my sudden interest. "Wait, you have a cabin?"

"Yeah, it was left to my dad when my grandfather passed away last year. Dad really wanted to go, but he said it would be there next month, and he'd much rather have Rachel home. Daddies little princess, you know?"

"Uh…yeah." I told him, my mind working overtime. This could be perfect, depending on location. "My sister Alice is the same way. So where is the cabin? Must not be close since you guys don't get there much huh?"

"Actually it's just outside the reservation, just past the old highway. Gramps didn't like to travel. But since dad is in a wheelchair, it's harder to go and spend time out there because of the terrain." He turned his wrist slightly and glanced down at his watch before making a face. "Well hey man, I've got to run. Rachel's plane is about to land. If I'm late she'll kill me. I'll see you around." I nodded and we said goodbye. I watched as he walked back down the aisle and turned out of my line of sight, then quickly picked out a few other items Bella might need before heading to the check-out counter to pay for that and the food. The line in the front wasn't long, but it seemed to take for-damn-ever for the check out chick to scan through the three people ahead of me. They only had about three items each, but it was already after noon by the time I loaded up the Volvo and made my way back to town. As I turned onto our street half an hour later, I noticed Charles police cruiser parked crookedly behind Bella's truck in the driveway of their house. Everything looked quiet from the outside though. I parked the Volvo and grabbed the two bags from the backseat before heading up the path to the front door, my eyes warily scanning the front door of the Swan house.

I called out to Alice and Emmett once I got inside and shut the door behind me, but the house was empty. The bags made a quiet ruffling sound as I set them on the counter in the kitchen and stuck the wrapped veil in the fridge. I grabbed Bella's bag and stuck it under my arm before walking out of the kitchen and bounding up the stairs to my room. I didn't want to wake her if she had fallen back asleep so I eased down the hall and quietly unlocked the door before peering in to see if she was awake. My breath came out in one big whoosh as I saw Bella sitting on the floor, hiding behind the side of my bed, with her hands covering her ears as she rocked back and forth on her heels. The bag fell from my under my arm as I raced forward and dropped to my knees in front of her.

"Bella…" I said, trying to pull her hands from her ears as I looked down into her scrunched face. "What's wrong…are you alright…What the hell happened?" She just continued to rock back and forth. "Bella…Bella come on, you've got to fucking talk to me here." She sucked in a deep breath that racked her whole body and stopped moving after a minute. I just peered down at her until she looked up at from under her lashes.

"He's looking for me."

* * *

**Ci sono cose che non capisci Edward, molte cose.:** There are things you don't understand Edward, many things.

**_Miele_:** Italian form of endearment, meaning "honey"

_**Dolce cuore:**_ Italian form of endearment, meaning "Sweetheart"

**Dimmi con chi vai, e ti dirò chi sei.:** Italian proverb, meaning "A man is known by the company he keeps."

**Sciocco Bella:** Silly Bella


	12. Confession

**Chapter 11:** Confession

* * *

Edwards' hands gently wrapped themselves around my wrists and pried my clawing fingers away from my face. I kept my head down, the tears of weakness and fear once again falling freely as Charlie's angry shouts permeated through my mind. He was so angry, though I couldn't fathom why, I would think he'd be glad to get rid of me since he hated me so much. Why couldn't he just let me go? He'd never have to see me again.

"Bella?" Edward sighed and reached out a hand, placing his index finger under my chin and applying the smallest amount of pressure. "Look at me, please." I shook my head, a small squeaking sound coming from my throat as I tried to catch my breath. Squeezing my eyes shut as tight as I could for a brief second, I opened them again and let my swollen eyes meet Edwards penetrating gaze.

"I can't…" My words hitched as I hiccuped, causing me to bring a hand to my heart. "I can't do this…anymore."

"Bella you don't ever have to go back there." Edward scooted closer to me on the floor and took both of my hands in his before giving them a soft squeeze of reassurance. I looked unseeingly at our joined hands as he spoke. "Look, a friend of mine has a cabin in the woods just outside of town—" My eyes suddenly shot to his and I inhaled a deep, calming breath.

"A cabin?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "It belonged to the guy's grandfather or something. He said he and his family never really make it out there because his dad is in a wheelchair and the terrain is rough on him. It's perfect. I can take you there…well I think I can anyway, I didn't exactly ask for fucking directions to the place. But you'll be safe there Bella, Your dad won't find you."

I offered a small, sad smile before averting my gaze to the wall just behind him. There was a black and white picture hanging just over his left shoulder, next to the bedroom door that was currently wide open to the darkened hallway. The picture was old, taken years before, and showed a little Edward staring into the lens of the camera with a huge grin on his face and holding up some sort of framed certificate in front of his chest. His pristine looking parents were bent down next to him, tiny Alice and large Emmett at their side. Their faces were all equally happy and full of pride for their son and brother. It was a beautiful picture of the family.

"You're right." I said quietly, looking at the photo across the room. "He won't find me there. Not many people even know the place exists, and Charlie definitely isn't one of the few who do. " I brought my tired gaze back to Edward's, which was now burning intensely with curiosity. He quirked an auburn eyebrow in silent question and I let out a deep sigh before leaning my head back against his bed frame and closing my eyes.

"Remember when we ate lunch together?" I asked him. "I told you how I used to hike in the woods behind the house and that there was this meadow my mom used to take me to when I was little?"

"Yeah I remember. Then you got this freaked out look on your face and quite talking." I nodded, keeping my eyes closed.

"It had been a long time since I had thought about that place, or talked about my mother with someone. I guess it just caught me off guard." I felt Edward's eyes on me, then after a moment there was a slight movement before I felt the side of the bed jostle as Edward mimicked my position and laid his head against the frame.

"Okay, so that still doesn't explain how you know about the cabin. Did you come across it while hiking or something?"

"No." I replied, opening my eyes and turning my head slightly to look at him. "There was a cabin in the meadow she used to take me to. It was so beautiful, I remember thinking that only a fairy godmother or princess could live there." Edwards' lips turned up into a brief smile at my words. "It actually belonged to a family my mother was close with, the Blacks."

Edward's brow furrowed with consideration, and we were silent for a few minutes, staring at each other until he turned away and looked up at the ceiling. I waited for him to say something, knowing there was more I had to tell him now, more he would want to know. I just hoped it would finally help him understand why I had stayed with Charlie all those years.

"So you know the Blacks well?" he asked after a few more moments of contemplative silence. His eyes didn't stray from a small crack directly above his head. "Why didn't you ever ask them for help? How could they not see what he was doing to you?" I swallowed the large lump in my throat and made my voice as steady as I could.

"I used to know them, but I don't now…not anymore."

"What does that mean?" he asked, his tone sounding clipped and slightly annoyed. Whether it was annoyance with me or with the Blacks, I couldn't tell.

"I haven't seen any of them since I was a kid, since before my mother died actually. Jacob Black and I used to play together all the time—his father Billy and my mother were very…_close_."

Edward ripped his gaze from the pale painted ceiling at my words and stared directly into my eyes. I wondered if he understood the meaning behind what I had just told him, the significance of the secret I had just shared.

"When you say close, you mean...like _close_?"

I nodded slowly and forced the bitter tasting words from my lips. "Yes. Billy and my mother were having an affair."

His eyes widened in surprise, a flash of something I couldn't quite decipher lighting behind them before dying out. He was silent again for a few moments, then reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a deep blue lighter. I watched as he pulled one of the thin sticks from the box and lit it with the small flame. His lips formed around the small tip and made a slight sucking motion as he pulled in a deep breath of the nicotine. Something warm formed in the pit of my stomach as I watched him exhale the acrid smoke and let out a quiet groan. I turned my face away quickly as I felt myself begin to blush and hoped that Edward wouldn't notice, or take it as embarrassment over my mother's actions if he did.

"So when your mom and Billy brought you two up to that cabin…" he said slowly, breaking the tense quiet that had built between us. "They did it so they could screw didn't they?" I winced at his crude description and then let out a heavy sigh before closing my eyes again for moment. He wasn't wrong after all, but the whole situation was still hard for me to think about. Even after all the time that had passed. Edward must have noticed me flinch at his words because he let out a gust of smoke and immediately began to apologize for what he'd said.

"Shit, sorry. That didn't come out right, I didn't—how did she die, If you don't mind me asking?" I shook my head and waved him off.

"Don't be sorry." I told him with a careful shrug of my shoulders. "I mean you're right...I guess. Jake and I were too young to be left at home so they had to bring us with them. It's funny how we never figured it out actually. I was completely clueless until she told me she was leaving Charlie. She died in a car wreck two weeks later…on her way home from the reservation. It was one of the rare times I wasn't with her." My words hung in the air between us, charging it with some strange unseen burden, and we were quiet for a while until Edwards shifted positions and let out a low groan.

"This is really fucked up Bella." He ran his hands through his untamed hair, his lips holding onto the remaining butt of his cigarette until he had to put it out. "This whole thing. Charlie, your mom…she shouldn't have brought you with her like that." I bit at my lower lip, offered him a small smile and nodded because I fully agreed with him. In truth it was something I still hadn't completely forgiven my mother for after all those years.

"You know..." I said softly, almost a whisper even in the quiet room. "After I found out what was going on, I was so angry with her. I remember yelling _horrible_ things to her face, saying I hated her and never wanted to see her again. It was awful. I just couldn't understand how she could to that to him…to me…to our family."

"Bella, it's perfectly normal to be angry, to hate her for what she did."

"No, it's not." I replied, turning to look at him straight on. "She was my mother Edward, regardless of what she did and the mistakes she made. Besides, that's just it. I didn't hate her, I never _hated _her. I was just hurt and didn't know what to do with the information she had given me. I was a child."

"Well Charlie is your father, are you telling me that you forgive him for repeatedly beating the shit out of you for no reason? That you don't hate him even just a little for everything he's done, even though he's your father?" I sucked in a deep breath and then let it out in one, shuddering release. My acceptance letter to Amherst flashed through in mind, crumpled and tossed on the floor like a piece of trash.

"No I just—that's different."

"The hell it is. Look Bella, it sucks but from what I can tell you got a dealt a shitty hand of two parents who couldn't give a crap about hurting you."

"It is different!" I insisted, suddenly feeling defensive under Edward's increasingly hard gaze and cold tone. "My mother never meant to hurt me, she loved me! She just didn't love her husband anymore."

"You need to stop defending them," He growled. "Stop seeing yourself as some pathetic piece collateral damage."

"I'm not pathetic." I whispered, my brow furrowing as I gazed down at my hands.

"Then stop acting like you are!" A sharp noise resonated through the air as my hand connected soundly with Edward's cheek, sending a slight stinging sensation through the palm and fingers of my good hand. I pulled it back immediately, my eyes widening in horror as I watched him reach up and rub at the red mark that was already starting to swell. I scooted closer to him across the floor, careful of the still fresh bruises and sore muscles littering my body.

"I—I'm so, so sorry!" Tears pricked at the corners of my sight as I reached out a hand and rested it on him shoulder. "I didn't mean…I'm so sorry Edward! I didn't mean it." He cast a sideways glance in my direction and then shot me what I was quickly coming to recognize as his signature smirk. I briefly wondered if he realized how disarmingly charming and sexy he was when he used that smile, if he often used it to get his way or set people at ease like he was now. He probably did. Lowering his hand from his reddened cheek, he ran it through his strange copper hair again, as if he didn't realize how messy and gorgeous it already was. He probably didn't.

"It's fine Bella." He replied. I cast my gaze down to my trembling fingers. "I sort of deserved it for being as ass. Besides, while it was nice to see you actually defend yourself, you kind of hit like a girl." I let out a relieved breath and laughed softly before glancing back up to his face. The faint outline of my fingers on his cheek caused the small smile to die on my lips instantly.

"You didn't deserve it Edward, no one does." Letting out a shaky breath I shook my head in disbelief.

"Yeah well, what's done is done." He replied. "No blood, no foul alright?" He got to his feet in one easy, fluid motion and looked down at me before extending his arm and offering me his hand. "Come on, let's get some ice for your face. You need to keep the swelling down. And you never ate that sandwich over there on the dresser, so I bet you're probably fucking starving right now." As if my body was somehow taking cues from him, a grumbling noise so loud it was as if some a bear was waking up from hibernation, sounded from my stomach at the mention of food. I blushed with embarrassment as he arched an eyebrow and his lips curved with amusement, though to his credit he didn't laugh. Instead he closed the space between us, wrapping his long fingers around my wrist and carefully guided me to my feet.

I looked up at him from under my lashes, powerfully aware of the of the less than three inch gap that separated us. It was as if the small void between us was alive with crackling electricity, the place where Edward still held my wrist burning as if it were on fire. His usually bright, emerald eyes were dark as they watched me, blazing with intensity as they moved from my eyes down to my lips then back again. We didn't speak, not that I could have if I wanted too. My senses were reeling with his warm scent and overwhelming closeness. The only sound was our shallow breaths as he slowly moved nearer, closing the space between us until there was almost none left. Still watching me with dusky eyes, he opened his mouth slightly as if to say something then promptly pursed his lips as yet another low growl suddenly erupted from my body. My cheeks flamed with color as he stood still for a long moment then took a step back, letting go of my skin and leaving a trail of sparks in his wake.

"Come on," His voice was tight and sounded strained to my ears "Follow me."

He walked out of the room into the darkened hallway without another word. I stared after him blankly, not quite understanding what had just happened, then inhaled a deep breath in an effort to ease the tightness in my chest and shake off the remaining embers left by Edward's touch. I hesitated just another second before following after him, walking slowly down the hall until I saw him waiting for me at the top of the staircase. I paused next to him for second, turning my head to take in my new surroundings. The inside of the house was a lot like Charlie's, the layout nearly identical though this house had more rooms. There was something about the pictures hanging neatly on the clean white walls, conveying years of memories just a few candid shots. There was something about the way the door to what I assumed was Alice's bedroom, since I could see a pile of bright clothes on the floor, hung open just slightly and allowed anyone to see inside her personal space. The two houses were so similar, but this was a home as well, with an actually family inside who loved each other. Charlie's was nothing but a façade, a show put on for the benefit of a town that couldn't care less. There was no love behind the walls of the house next door, not anymore.

"Do you need help?" Edward's quiet voice speared my thoughts and caused the increasingly familiar warmth to grow in the pit of my stomach. I offered him a small smile a shook my head as I took another step toward him.

"No, that's okay. I can do it." He nodded and gestured for me to go in front of him. I could feel his eyes on me as I cautiously made my way down the stairs, gripping the mahogany railing and trying not to remember the identical flight I had fallen down the night before. An image of Charlie's face, twisted with rage, flashed in front of my eyes and I missed the last step before the bottom landing. Edward was quick to catch me, his hard arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me back against himself to steady me. I let out a sharp hiss as intense pain shot through my ribs and lower back where it slammed hard against his stomach. Edward let go of me instantly, but his arms were still close enough to catch me again if I fell.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly from behind me, his lips at my ear. "Shit, I didn't mean to pull so hard. I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry." I blinked away the pinpricks of light that had appeared at the edges of my vision and glanced over my shoulder at him, blushing yet again and unable to look him in the eyes.

"I'm fine. Thank you for catching me."

"Bella…" His tone held an undercurrent of warning as he gazed down at me.

"Really, Edward. It hurt a little, but it's gone now." He looked unsure for a moment, as if he didn't quite believe me, but then sighed and stepped past me before offering up his hand to help me down the last stair. He smirked, his eyes suddenly dancing with mischief, and I smiled wryly at him before placing my hand in his, allowing him to guide down the last step. Strange, his moods were such a rollercoaster it was hard to keep up, but I didn't mind trying as much as I should have.

"Thank you." I told him, my feet firmly on the hardwood floor. "But I think I could have managed."

"Do you?" He asked, his eyebrow arched in question.

I nodded.

"Sciocco Bella." He murmured with a shake of his head, then without another word turned and walked toward the archway that I could see led into the kitchen. I watched his retreating form, all of a sudden feeling very stupid and as if I had failed some sort of test. After another moment of agonizing over what to do, I exhaled a heavy sigh and made my way to the kitchen. It was painted a creamy white like the rest of the house, the pristine walls setting off the dark, cherry wood cabinets in a way Charlie's lifeless blue kitchen didn't. The sizable dining table was set with red porcelain plates, ready at a moments' notice should they need to be used. An intricate floral design decorated the edges, with mustard colored mattes wearing the same pattern underneath to protect the wood. A window with a sheer crème curtain matching the walls, looked out into the backyard which was sparse on greenery but neatly manicured nonetheless.

"Here, for your face."

I turned to see Edward standing at an open stainless steel refrigerator, holding out a blue ice-pack that had little hearts and smiley faces covering every inch of it. I smiled instinctively as I looked at the frosty little square, and then glanced quickly up at Edward before reaching out and carefully taking it in my hand.

"It's Alice's." He explained, turning his attention back to the contents of the fridge as I placed the cold pack against my right cheek. I winced at the immediate contact but after another second it began to relieve some of the throbbing and I sighed with relief. "She used to do gymnastics at our old school in New York. She was pretty good too, captain of the team actually—would come home with sprains and bruises every other day though."

"That makes sense." I told him, thinking of how gracefully Alice moved. "Her being a gymnast I mean. She practically floats when she walks. And thanks for the ice-pack, the cold really helps."

"No problem." He replied, bringing his left arm up and hanging it loosely on the top of the open refrigerator door. "She threw a fucking fit when she found out we were moving, I really thought she was going to have an aneurism. Something about ruining her chances for an athletic scholarship or some shit like that." I stared at the back of his head as his words sank in.

"Oh…she…Alice wanted an athletic scholarship?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why." Edward replied. He reached into the fridge and sniffed at the contents of a ceramic bowl before making a disgusted face and putting it back. "I mean it's not like she needs it. Alice can go to any college she wants and our parents will pay for it."

A wrinkled piece of ivory paper. A purple logo. The promise of a future that seemed out of reach. It was all too much for a teenage girl to bear alone—for me to bear alone—and in that moment I hated how cavalier he sounded about it all. Edward took for granted everything that I wanted and probably wouldn't ever get. He didn't have to worry about his future because he could do whatever he wanted and go wherever his heart desired. I would probably never get out of Forks. What would a runaway without a college degree ever amount to anyway?

"Did you ever think maybe she wanted to earn it?" I asked him, suddenly unable to keep the razor sharp tone from my voice even after all he had done for me. He turned around, his eyes wide and staring as if he thought I was crazy. Maybe I was. "Did you ever think Alice wanted to go to college based on merit and not just because she could afford it?

"Bella what—"

"Maybe she doesn't take what you're parents offer for granted, Edward. Did you ever think of that?"

"I don't know—"

"Why am I even talking to you about this?" I cried, setting the ice-pack on the tiled counter top with a wet _slap_ that lacked any real force. "You don't understand."

"Understand what?" Edward yelled, tossing his hands in the air. "I've done nothing but try to help you Bella! So damn it, why don't you just talk to me." I stared at him, my eyes narrowed as I took in his heaving chest and disheveled hair. I groaned loudly and covered my face with my hands.

"Ugh, I know!" I cried into my palms, then lowered my under my hands under my chin and closed my eyes. "I know, Edward. I'm sorry…I know you're only trying to help me."

"So maybe now it's your turn." He said quietly, his voice not completely losing its harsh edge. "Help me understand what the hell is going on. What's wrong…I mean other than the obvious?" I let out a humorless laugh at his attempt at a joke, then opened my eyes to meet his curious, blazing gaze. For a second I considered telling him about the letter, about getting accepted to Amherst and what Charlie did to make it impossible. The words were on my lips, the tip of my tongue, but as quickly as the impulse came I pushed it down into the deepest recesses of my being. Edward already thought I was weak and in need of saving anyway, and while he may have been right, why add another item to the already long list?

"Bella?" Edward asked, waiting for me to tell him what I should. Waiting for me to ask for his help.

"There's nothing wrong." I told him with a shake of my head. "Nothing other than the obvious anyway. There is so much going on in my head right now, I just lost it for a second. I'm sorry Edward. I shouldn't take anything out on you…I'm calm now…really, I'm okay." Edward stared silently at me, barely blinking, his lips pressed into a thin line and his jaw clenched. He let out a somber laugh, shaking his head and reaching back with his hand to rub the back of his hair. When he finally turned back to the fridge a moment later I had the sudden, sinking feeling that I had just failed another test.

* * *

**Authors Note:** So there it is...Chapter 11...WOW...Told you all I wouldn't stop updating, no matter how long it took. I'm so sorry it took so long though guys, really! On the bright side it wasn't for nothing. I did just graduate from SDSU with all A's in my final semester so I wasn't just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, some serious stuff was revealed huh? It's a little shorter than the others but only by a less than 1,000 words and if I kept the ORIGINAL ending it would have been a cliffy and I think you all would have hated me lol. **MUCH THANKS goes out to Blueeyedcherry an Veraleeon**without whom this woulda been crap lol luv ya girlies!

MUAH!

B.O.R


	13. Sympathy for the Devil

**Chapter 12: **Sympathy for the Devil

* * *

_I wanted to fucking strangle her._

_I wanted to wrap my arms around her and hug her._

_I wanted her to tell me the goddamn truth._

I wasn't a patient guy by any means, never had been. As a matter of fact I had been told on more than one occasion and by several people, that I lacked any form of patience whatsoever. I was apparently rash, single minded, and had some serious unresolved self-destructive tendencies. I found that a bit harsh and personally preferred the labels quick thinker, focused and bad-ass risk taker.

What-the-hell-ever.

The less than stellar opinion of my psyche had never bothered, or hindered me before. Who the hell cared what some over paid Manhattan shrink had to say anyway. I knew I was fucked up ten ways to Sunday, I could have told my parents that and I didn't even have a damn degree. What the hell did they think was going to happen? My sometimes mental instability wasn't some big covert secret, so could I please get a hundred bucks an hour for that assessment? Of course not. And even though they were never forced to sit in some overdone office on a pretentious leather sofa, Alice and Emmett were messed up more than they let on. They pretended like they didn't see the dark shadows that controlled our world but they weren't blind, just better at hiding it than I was.

With Bella though, I knew that if I kept making hasty decisions or pressured her before she was ready it would only cause more problems and a bigger headache for the both of us. The girl was a closed book for Christ's sake. Locked tight with a clasp and tucked away in some dark corner so no one could read her. A tiny glimpse of her inner pages was visible if you looked hard enough, showing only what she wanted people to see. But In order to fucking help her she had to open up and let me read a chapter or two. She was too stubborn and untrusting to do that though, and every time I thought I was getting close to really unraveling the mystery that was Isabella Swan she shut the damn cover on me. I had to be patient with her, as hard as that was going to be for me. I had to give her time.

"So what do you want to eat?" I asked without turning to look at Bella's bruised face. I tried and probably failed to keep the edge out of my voice. There was a long, awkward stretch of silence while I waited for her to answer but she just fidgeted loudly in her chair at the table.

"I can make it…if you want. I don't mind."

"What is it with women wanting to feed me?" I grumbled, running my hand through my hair as I remembered the weird conversation I had with my mother just the night before. She had seemed fine today, her usual motherly self, but something felt off when we spoke in the kitchen last night. It was odd for her to be so distant, it put me on edge—especially with Marcus and his thugs coming for dinner. Dealing with them was going to be shitty enough. "I can make food Bella, I'm not a complete imbecile."

There was a sharp intake of breath behind me and I turned around, seeing her lower her head as her hands began to twist together anxiously in her lap. I groaned internally when she pulled her lower lip between her teeth again, remembering how close I had been to doing the exact same thing upstairs. Whatever the hell happened between us—the weird electric charge when I helped her up, or the magnetic pull that brought me nearly an inch from kissing her— I couldn't let it happen again. What the hell was wrong with me anyway, the girl needed fucking help and I almost attack her? Was I one of those sick pieces of shit who got off on seeing a girl in pain?

I didn't think so, but this whole thing with Bella was beyond unsettling at this point. From the moment I met her there was something that lured me in, made me curious to know her. At first I thought maybe it was just because she was Alice's weird friend, someone who I didn't know we could trust since she had clearly been lying to Alice since they met. Then it was because she needed to be rescued from her sadistic father and I was clearly the only one willing to do it. Then as much as I hated to admit it because that shit is just fucked up, it was because _I wanted _to know her and help her. I didn't even know what to do with that little epiphany.

"Hey?" I said softly, trying to clear my mind of the disconcerting thoughts and making her look up warily. I offered an apologetic smile that I hoped she understood. "Don't worry about the food alright? Just sit and relax while I take care of it."

She nodded but still looked nervous.

We remained silent while I made sandwiches, the air tense and charged with our nerves and frustrations. Bella looked unseeingly out the window into the gray afternoon, holding the icepack to her black eye. I did my best to ignore the questions burning at the back of my throat—I shouldn't push her. I wouldn't push her. When the food was done and I put the plates on the table though, I managed to grow a pair of balls and ask the one question that really had been nagging at the back on my mind since she told me about her mother and the Blacks.

"Bella, does Jacob know about his dad and your mom?" She looked up at me, brown eyes wide, and I waited for her response. It had confused me that Jacob could be so close with Bella and then be cut off without a word. Did he question not seeing his friend after her mom died, or did he know what was happening with Bella? If not, what had Billy told his son to keep him from her?

"I—I'm not sure." She took a bite of her food and thought for a moment. "I mean I always thought he did. But I suppose it would make sense if he never figured it out himself that Billy wouldn't tell him. I'm sure he felt guilty for betraying Jakes mom. She was sick for a while and passed away not long after we started going for hikes in the woods."

"Guilt?" I scoffed, remembering the many times my mother told me how guilty my father felt about what happened all those years ago. Guilt didn't mean shit. It didn't change anything. It didn't take the nightmares away. Besides, I doubt Jacob would be as excited as he was about going to that cabin if he knew the truth, so I didn't think his father was exactly forthcoming.

Bella watched me, silently asking me to elaborate, and I sighed wearily.

"Guilt is like a fucking copout." I told her. "People think they should just get a free pass because they feel bad about some shitty thing they did, or because they caused someone grief. Just own your damn decisions, you know? Or better yet don't do something to feel guilty about."

She watched me for a long moment and I shifted uncomfortably under her surprisingly penetrating stare. Here massive brown eyes, even swollen and bruised, were like a gateway to something deep within her soul that she tried to keep hidden. After a moment she offered me a small smile and looked out the window again.

"I guess in a perfect world it would work like that." She murmured softly. "People owning up to their faults, thinking of others, doing the right thing from the start without hesitating over the consequences it could have for them. But people are flawed Edward, we make mistakes and then we feel bad about not measuring up. To err is human, remember?"

"Yeah, but what about being a good person? Or screw that, just a fucking decent one? I don't think our fathers feel bad about not measuring up. They actually seem to go out of their way to do the opposite."

Bella lowered the ice-pack, her brow creased in confusion. She opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, but a distant noise caught my attention suddenly and I held up a hand to stop her. I strained to hear for a second and then stood from the table.

"Edward? Are you alright?"

"Wait here." I said, looking over my shoulder at her as I walked out of the kitchen and down the short hall into the living room. I pushed the curtain slightly to the side with my finger. My mothers' Mercedes was parked in the driveway, two nondescript black vans pulled up right behind her as she stepped out of the car onto the driveway.

We were so fucked.

"Bella?" I called, looking out the window for another moment before letting the drape fall back into place. "Bella, come on we got to move."

Her eyes were wide with panic as I raced back into the kitchen and grabbed her plate of food from the table, tossing mine into the trash before glancing quickly around the room to make sure everything was where it should be. Luckily I was a bit obsessive compulsive when it came to keeping things neat so the kitchen was exactly how it usually looked without a spoon out of place. As I sighed and ran a hand through my hair I could feel Bella's anxious stare on me.

"What's going on, what's happening? Is it Charlie?

"No, it's not Charlie." I told her, glancing over my shoulder to make sure she was following me out of the kitchen. We were halfway up the stairs when I heard the voices outside getting closer to the door. My father had explicitly told me to stay away from Bella, that things had to run smoothly for the next couple of months or there would be serious consequences. I definitely didn't want either him or Marcus to find her standing in our living room. It wasn't that I was afraid of them, they could both do whatever he wanted to me. I doubted mom would let them do anything anyway. I was afraid however, that Marcus and my father would send Bella back to Charlie if they found out I had been hiding her from their new associate. I couldn't let that happen, who knew what he'd do to her.

"My family is home." I continued, trying to keep my voice steady. "My father brought some of his…umm…co-workers…for dinner. I don't think it's a good idea if they know you're here."

She let out a heavy breath and her worried eyes relaxed just a little.

"Oh. Yeah. Right…Okay."

We continued up the stairs and turned the corner to the hallway just as the front door was pushed open and the muffled voiced became clear. I froze mid-step when I heard the familiar, gritty voice that belonged to the one person I could say I truly loathed in life. Everyone else was a saint compared to him, including my father. He was the reason my father was who he was. I felt my free hand clench into a fist at my side as I thought of how close he was, just down the stairs, only a few feet away.

"_I am happy to hear the transition is going so smoothly."_

"_Yes, it has been better than we could have hoped for. I don't foresee any problems from this point on."_

"_That is good to hear Carlisle. I am pleased with the initiative you have shown these past months."_

_"Thank you. I am glad you are pleased with our work."_

"_Esme, my dear this living room is exquisite. You've made this a lovely home."_

_"Thank you Marcus. Alice helped me decide the color scheme."_

_"I told her since the house was so enclosed, lighter colors would work best. Especially since—"_

I felt the bile rise in my throat, burning and causing my eyes to water. Unable to stand there another moment without putting my fist through the wall, I turned on my heel. I didn't think putting a hole in the wall would go over well at all—with my parents or with Bella. She was standing right behind me, her brow creased and eyes narrowed in confusion as she looked at my tense shoulders and clenched fists. I stepped around her and cocked my head for her to follow me, and though she did I could feel her curious gaze on the back of my neck.

I felt my body grow less tense the further we got down the hall, further away from Marcus and the utter bullshit that was my life. I ushered Bella into my bedroom and let out a small sigh of relief as I closed and locked the door behind me. Running an anxious hand through my hair I turned to face Bella who was standing silently at the foot of the bed, waiting to see what was going to happen next. I placed her half eaten sandwich on the top of my dresser.

"So I'm pretty sure I have to go down there." She nodded and shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "You know, dinner and shit…I shouldn't be long. Two hours at the most."

"Okay."

"You can watch television if you want, or read. I know I'm not huge on the classics but I do have some on my bookshelf if you want to check them out."

"Okay."

"We'll figure something out Bella, you don't have to go back to that house. I think we really have to tell someone though, but since everyone in this damn town is clearly blind or incompetent, I'm not sure exactly who to trust with the information."

'You can't trust anyone with the information." She said softly, and then looked up at me with wide eyes. "Edward, maybe this isn't such a good idea. If anyone cared about what's going on they would have asked already. I'll be eighteen in less than a year, I really can handle Charlie. I'll just have to be more careful for a few months."

I stare incredulously at her for a long moment, once again taking in the numerous injuries littering her body because of her father. How she managed so long in the first place was miracle in my mind, but it was clear to me that whatever she was doing to _handle _the situation was no longer working. She'd probably be dead before her birthday if she went back. I felt my hands clench again at the thought but I tried to keep calm so that I wouldn't scare the hell out of her.

"Don't." I ground out, causing her to arch the eyebrow of her good eye in question. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Take ten damn steps back." My voice was forced through gritted teeth, but then I let out a deep breath to relax the tension I felt building in my body. "You came to me for help, and I want to help you Bella. We will figure something out, I swear. I can get you to that cabin. You'll be safe there until we can come up with a plan."

"Edward—"

"Promise me you'll stay until I come back up here Bella, because I can't promise anything about what I will or won't do to get you out of that house again if you go back."

Her eyes went wide again for a moment, well as wide as they could, then she broke eye contact by looking down at the carpet under her feet. I waited to see what her response would be, my shoulders tense and my jaw clenched in anxious apprehension. I didn't know what she would say, I couldn't make her stay, and I could have totally just scared the shit out of her by being so demanding.

"I promise." She whispered, but I didn't believe her. Her nervous tone made it clear she was merely placating me and that it was very likely she would be gone when I finally managed to claw my way out of the hell waiting for me downstairs. I crossed my arms over my chest and arched an eyebrow, consciously making sure that there was a smirk on my face so that I didn't appear angry with her. It must have worked because after a moment she groaned in frustration. I didn't have to fake the smirk when she did that.

"I said I promise. I won't go anywhere Edward."

"Thank you." I sighed, letting out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. I ran a hand through my hair and grimaced as I realized I had probably stalled long enough. On cue—as if she could read my mind—my mothers' voice called out from down the hall, letting me know they were all home and summoning me downstairs to say hello.

"I have to go now." I grumbled out; then turned to Bella with a sigh. "Just relax for a bit, alright?"

She scoffed lightly but nodded her head gently and I moved to open the door. My hand was barely touching the handle when her voice called out softly behind me. I paused and looked over my shoulder at her. She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, then closed it and pursed her lips. Her pale face suddenly began turning a light red color as she blushed with embarrassment.

"Yeah?" I prompted after another moment of hesitation, wondering what had her looking so adorably flustered. I cringed inwardly as my inner asshole began to laugh mockingly at me for being so dense. Whatever, he was a dick.

"Thank you." Bella murmured quietly. "For everything."

I grinned at her and her face somehow grew impossibly redder, which again could only be described as adorable. I continued to inwardly flip off the hysterical douche in my head.

"Sure thing, Swan."

With that I opened the door and stepped out, closing is securely behind me before making my way slowly down the hall. I sucked in a deep breath as I made my way down the stairs. God, I really didn't want to see Marcus. It would be bad news if I blatantly ignored the fact the he and his cronies were here though. Marcus would be offended, my father would be beyond pissed, and if they started to actually give a shit by sticking their noses in my business then they could find out about Bella. Needless to say I was choosing the lesser of two evils. I could handle one damn meal with the killer elite.

"Ahhh eccolo, il mio bel nipote!" A loud voice called out as I reached the bottom of the stairs. I won't lie, I cringed a little at the honeyed tone. When I stood unmoving for a long moment, just staring, Marcus stood from his place on the sofa and extended his arms outward toward me. "Come Edward, give your uncle a proper welcome."

The fact that Marcus was my blood made me want to recoil, but men and women who lived within the realm of the mafia world were usually excellent liars by nature— you didn't last long if you weren't. For example if you ever got pinched, you either spilled your guts and got a bullet to the head, or you lied through your teeth and kept any potentially damning information to yourself. Though even then you could, and probably would, end up with several holes through your chest if you were considered too much of a liability. Yeah, and they were all about respect and loyalty to the _family_. I call bullshit on that one. But as much as I hated to admit it, I was part of their world—it literally coursed through my veins. I had lived it for the past seventeen years, and while Alice and Emmett were truly better at it than I was, I could fake it with the best of them when I needed to.

I took a step forward. Marcus was surrounded by several men in matching black Armani suits, including both my father and Jasper, who flanked him closely on either side of the sofa. My eyes shot to my father's cold face, but as usual it gave away nothing of his inner thoughts or emotions. No surprise there. Jasper and two other men, both tall with dark hair, olive skin and hooked noses stood stoic as well. Again, someone stop the presses.

"Ciao." I gritted out as he placed his large hands on my shoulders and proceeded to kiss both my cheeks in greeting. The pressure of his long, boney, fingers on me had my stomach in knots. I felt like I needed to hurl.

"Sei cresciuto!" He laughed, his dark eyes creasing at the corners as his thin lips pulled into a wide grin. He reminded me of the Cheshire cat. Especially with his long brown hair pulled back making it look like his head had a tail. "Soon you will bigger than Demitri and Felix."

"Yeah." I mumbled, looking at the two hulking figures standing a few feet away. "I think Emmett might take that prize."

"Yes, indeed." Marcus nodded, taking a step back before looking over at his brother. "Carlisle where is my other nephew? Sicuramente sapeva che stavamo arrivando."

"Yes, I informed him of our arrival." He replied, a sigh of frustration in his voice. I internally smirked at his annoyance with Emmett. I'd have to remember to do something non-shitty for him soon. "I'm not sure where he is but he will be home shortly for dinner. I apologize for his absence."

"Sì…naturalmente, i ragazzi sono ragazzi." Marcus said with a hearty laugh. My father nodded in agreement then turned to me, his gaze steady and cool as he met my stare.

"Edward, please go see how long dinner is going to be. Your mother and Mary-Alice are in the kitchen preparing the meal."

For once I didn't argue at all. He was, however unintentional, giving me an out and I sure as hell was going to take it. I nodded at him and walked down the hall to the kitchen. Esme was at the stove pouring white wine into a steaming pan while Alice stood at the kitchen island enthusiastically dicing vegetables. The sleeves of her red silk blouse were pushed up to her elbows and her face was pinched with intense concentration.

"Alice, I'm pretty sure you're going to slice your finger off if you keep mutilating the poor carrots like that."

She didn't seem to hear me at first. After another second she looked up, knife poised in her hand above the vegetables, with confusion in her eyes.

"Hmmm…What?" She asked then shook her head as she quickly seemed to understand. "Oh yeah…you know me, I just get really into cooking."

My eyebrows rose incredulously. Not only was she horrible at it, but also Alice hated cooking—with a passion. Ever since she burned her hand with hot oil when she was little, she steered clear in fear of doing herself a major injury that could keep her from gymnastics training. She gave me a small, forced smile then looked back down at the carrots before dicing the thick orange sticks again without another word. Something was definitely off with her, she was acting really weird. There was so much happening though, between Bella hiding upstairs and Marcus being in the next room, I decided not to call her on it right then. I would talk to her later if it really started to worry me. Or who the hell knows, she would probably go to mom if it was something big. I wasn't exactly the one my little sister ran to when something was on her mind.

"Edward, _miele_…was there something you needed?"

I turned to my mother who was still standing at the stove but was now wiping her delicate hands on a light green dish towel. She was a successful business entrepreneur, with her own design company, but in that moment she looked every bit the classic Italian homemaker—the dutiful _moglie_. Her hair was piled into a loose bun on top of her head, a red apron was tied around her waifish waist, and like Alice the sleeves of her silk button down were pushed up. She was a great mother as she was, but because Marcus was what she called old school and beyond set in his archaic ways, when he was around she pretended to be nothing more than a stay at home wife with a hobby her generous husband allows her to pursue. I knew it was not a mindset that my father shared, it was something I actually respected him just a little for, but it still pissed me off to end that he allowed my mother and sister to pretend to be less than they were because his brother wouldn't like it.

As I opened my mouth relay the message from my father, a sudden loud crash from the front of the house caught our attention and all three of us whipped around so fast I was sure we'd have whiplash. I immediately stepped in front the archway that led into the kitchen, knowing that it could easily be a member of a rival family after Marcus or even my father. I widened my stance to ground myself and flexed my hands at my sides. If someone came down the hall they'd see me before mom and Alice, hopefully giving them enough time to get out the sliding glass door on the other side of the kitchen. It wouldn't give them much time since I anyone who came at me would most likely have a gun, but hopefully enough. A familiar booming voice rang out clearly in the next second, followed by my fathers' annoyed one a moment later.

"Emmett's home." Alice announced with a smirk. The tension in the room evaporated immediately, the strain in my muscles eased and I ran a hand through my hair. I was coming to see it as a nervous habit. One that was probably going to make me go bald or some shit.

"They want to know how long dinner is going to take." I sighed, turning back to my mom again after another moment.

"About another forty-five minutes." She gave me a knowing look then put a finger to her chin as if wondering about something. "Why don't you let them know and then come back so you can help Alice with the vegetables?"

"God yes, please help me." Alice begged, her brow furrowed as she tried to peel an onion. "I should not even be allowed in a kitchen."

So I did.

After letting the Goodfella's and Emmett know how long it would be until they could stuff their faces, I went back to the kitchen and helped mom and Alice with the meal by finishing up the cutting of the vegetables and making the polenta that would serve as a side dish. If Marcus thought it odd that I was helping in the kitchen, he didn't say anything, and forty minutes later everyone was seated tensely around the dining room table. Marcus sat at the head of the table, Demitri and Felix on either side of him poised as if ready to attack at the flick of a boney finger. My father sat alert at the other end, my mother and Alice on his sides across from Jasper and Emmett. I was in the middle—or course.

We ate in silence for a while, the only sounds being the silver spoons against the antique Italian bowls mom brought out for special occasions. We were nearing the end of the first torturous half hour when, right as Emmett opened his mouth to say something that I was sure was going to be some lame-ass attempt at a joke, a muffled noise still loud enough for us to hear came from upstairs. We were all quiet for a moment, our eyes on the ceiling where the sound came from.

"What was that?" Emmett asked after a moment, breaking the silence at the same time Felix, Demitri and Jasper stood from their spots and pulled their glocks from the waistband of their pants.

"Fermi!" Marcus gestured to Felix and Demitri before pointing to Jasper across the room. "Controlla cosa è stato e occupatene."

He nodded stiffly and wasted no time promptly walking out of the room. A few moments later we could hear the sounds of heavy footsteps above us as Jasper searched the second story for any sign of some unseen threat. In the silence I was sure everyone at the table could hear my heart pounding beneath my chest, and my blood felt like ice in my veins as I waited for the inevitable. My gaze lifted from the antique bowl in front of me and met Alice's eyes across the table. I was sure the utter dread in her stare mirrored mine though I knew it was for completely different reasons. She was worried about the dangerous situation she thought Jasper was in just a floor above us—she was waiting for gunshots. Of course only I knew what he was going to find up there, and I was powerless to stop him.

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** Thank you so much to ArekWithlock for some of those Italian translations, you're awesome. Thanks for helping me not look like an idiot! :) **

**Authors Note:**So I know it's been a pretty suck week in the fandom. I'm not even going to comment on it. I just hope a nice (well maybe not so nice) chapter update will help put a smile on all your pretty/handsome faces. I do have some male readers out their right? Hmmm? Anyway, as always reviews with your feedback are incredibly appreciated. Love you all.

**P.S.** Don't forget that I am writing a Jasper/Alice outtake for FandomForColorado. If you want to see more of them please donate for the cause as it will only be available there.

XOXO

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TRANSLATIONS:

**Ahhh eccolo, il mio bel nipote! : **Ah there he is, my handsome nephew!

**Ciao:** Hello

**Sei cresciuto**: You grew.

**Sicuramente sapeva che stavamo arrivando: **Surely he knew we were coming.

**Sì…naturalmente, i ragazzi sono ragazzi:** Yes…of course. Boys will be boys.

**_Miele_**: Italian term of endearment meaning "Honey"

**Moglie:** Wife

**Fermi!:** Stay!

**Controlla cosa è stato e occupatene:** See what it was and take care of it.


	14. A Treat For You All I Hope

*********Authors Note: PLEASE READ!*****Hello my lovelies! So since you are all so incredibly amazing and I love you so much, I wanted to give you guys a special treat. Ready? Below is a special teaser for the Jasper/Alice outtake that I am writing for the Fandom4Colorado relief efforts! I know it's short but this is all I can give you. I hope you like it :) I cleared it with the Fandom4Colorado people so there were no issues. In the outtake that will only be avaible by donating to the relief efforts, you will be given three scenes from How To Be written in Alice's point of view.

. You will read about when Jasper first makes an appearance (i.e. when Edward bolts and goes to La Push)**  
**

. You will read about Carlisle telling her not see Bella anymore (...and how Jasper consoles her the next morning.)

. You will read about what exactly Alice and Jasper are doing while Marcus is on his way to Forks (i.e. Alice's pov for part of Sympathy for the Devil)

So there you have it. Below is just a small part of that first scene, and I hope it is enough to get you guys to donate. Your passion for the fandom and this story never cease to amaze me. As Jackson often says...Much love and respect!

**If you want to donate and recieve the full compilation you can go to**: fandomcause DOT info

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**I See You: **A How To Be Outtake (Teaser)

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Jasper was there—actually, physically in my presence.

It felt like an incredible dream after not seeing him for so long, almost as if he were invented by my mind to keep me sane. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure he was actually real since I wouldn't put it past my overactive imagination to make it up, but I decided against it since I didn't believe my imagination would do him that amount of justice anyway. It must have been nearly a year since I had seen Jaspers' gorgeous face or heard his smooth voice that had the ability to make me seriously weak in the knees. I grinned internally and felt suddenly lightheaded just thinking about the southern drawl his deep voice took on when he was comfortable enough to forget himself. It didn't matter that I was a city girl through and through—a born and bred New Yorker—that voice was enough to make any girl melt like butter and swoon like a true southern belle. God and the way he laughed, all glimmering white teeth and shining storm colored eyes, when someone said something particularly amusing to him was like music to me. I smiled to myself once more at the thought of his soft laughter filling my ears.

Yes it was good to see Jasper again.


End file.
